𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐢'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐂 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

ONN Abuja 24.10.2025

The ongoing leadership crisis within Nigeria’s Labour Party intensified on Thursday as a faction loyal to Abia State Governor Alex Otti called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, the former acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The group, led by interim National Chairman Senator Nenadi Usman, accused Agbamuche-Mbu of wrongly recognizing Julius Abure as the party’s National Chairman, allegedly in defiance of a Supreme Court judgment.

In a statement issued in Abuja by Ken Asogwa, media aide to Usman, the faction claimed Agbamuche-Mbu invited Abure to a meeting of leaders from 18 registered political parties on October 14, 2025. The following day, she reportedly justified her action by citing a supposed court order from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwagwalada, directing INEC to recognize Abure as Labour Party chairman. However, Usman’s camp insists no such order exists, accusing Agbamuche-Mbu of relying on a “fabricated and non-existent” document to justify an “illegal and politically motivated act.”

“This shameful episode represents a new low in the history of INEC,” the statement read, branding Agbamuche-Mbu a “clear danger to Nigeria’s democracy.”

The faction demanded her arrest for alleged “complicity in the criminal forgery of a court order” and urged supporters to mobilize for a peaceful occupation of INEC headquarters until their demands are met. They also called on the incoming substantive INEC chairman to rid the commission of “elements of destabilization.”

In a swift rebuttal, the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party dismissed the allegations as a “clear attempt to blackmail INEC and its acting chairman for obeying a validly issued court order.” National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh described the accusations as “political zealotry carried too far” and threatened to petition the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over what he called “unguarded and reckless aspersions” against the judiciary. Ifoh demanded that Usman and Asogwa retract their statement within 72 hours or face legal action.

Ifoh challenged the Usman faction to produce any court ruling explicitly recognizing Usman as Labour Party chairman, asserting that INEC’s actions were lawful. “INEC should not be intimidated because they are doing the right thing by obeying a validly issued court order,” he said.

The controversy stems from INEC’s decision last week to invite Abure to a meeting with political party leaders. Agbamuche-Mbu, speaking at INEC’s quarterly meeting with media executives in Abuja, defended the invitation, stating it was based on a subsisting FCT High Court ruling recognizing Abure as Labour Party chairman. “As a law-abiding institution, INEC has always obeyed court orders,” she said, adding that the commission would comply with any valid judgment presented by rival factions led by Usman or Lamidi Apapa.

As the Labour Party’s internal conflict deepens, the dispute threatens to further undermine public confidence in both the party and Nigeria’s electoral processes, with both sides digging in and accusing each other of manipulating judicial and institutional mechanisms for political gain.