Julius Abure faction of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) (INEC) of interfering in the party’s affairs.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kennedy Ahanotu, national youth leader of the Abure-led faction, made the allegation during an interview on TVC on Monday.
Ahanotu claimed that INEC has been acting against the party since the 2023 general election, citing the commission’s exclusion of a candidate from the August 16 by-elections as evidence. “INEC is doing hanky panky with Labour Party affairs,” he said, adding that the commission’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, may be afraid to let the party field candidates in elections due to the party’s impressive performance in 2023.
The Abure-led faction also criticized Yakubu for allegedly engaging directly with elected LP candidates rather than the party’s national structure.
Ahanotu argued that this approach undermines the party’s internal mechanisms and poses a threat to democracy.
“If any candidate or governor or senator has issues with what is happening in the party, they should come to the party, make their case known, and if they are not responded to, they have the right to go to court — not to go to INEC.”
Ahanotu emphasised that the LP remains open to all members but will not beg anyone to stay or return. He warned against the domination of political parties by elected officials, saying it poses a threat to democracy.
“Parties should not be at the beck and call of political office holders. We must not encourage that in a democracy.”
