TDThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified why it rejected a move by a faction of the Labour Party (LP) to dissolve state, local government, and ward executives believed to be loyal to the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure.
The decision, communicated in an official letter to the party leadership, has further intensified the ongoing leadership crisis within the Labour Party.
Factions aligned with Abure has been antagonising the caretaker committee headed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman.
INEC stated that the proposed dissolution of the party’s structures across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory could not be recognised.
It said this is because it did not follow the constitutional procedures governing political parties in Nigeria.
According to the electoral body, the action allegedly taken by the faction seeking to dissolve the executives was carried out without complying with the Labour Party’s own constitution.
It further noted that Usman failed to notify the commission as required by law.
Due Process Requirement
INEC explained that political parties cannot arbitrarily dismantle established leadership structures without following laid-down procedures.
The commission emphasised that any such decision must be taken through the party’s recognised organs, particularly the National Executive Council (NEC).
It must also be formally communicated to the electoral body.
The commission said the reported dissolution of the state, local government and ward executives was done without statutory notice of the meeting where the decision was allegedly taken.
That, therefore, makes the action invalid in the eyes of the electoral regulator.
In essence, INEC’s position was that a constituted party structure cannot be altered or dissolved without due process under the party’s constitution and without proper notification and consent from the commission.
Letter to Labour Party Leadership
In the letter addressed to the party leadership in Abuja, INEC noted that it had received correspondence from the Labour Party concerning the dissolution of the executives earlier in February 2026.
However, the commission said it could not recognise the decision because the party failed to provide evidence that the action was approved by the appropriate constitutional body of the party.
INEC therefore informed the party that the attempt to dissolve the executives across the states and the Federal Capital Territory “cannot be acceded to.”
Deepening Party Crisis
The controversy is the latest development in the prolonged leadership dispute within the Labour Party, which has seen competing factions laying claim to the party’s national structure.
The faction linked to Nenadi Usman had reportedly sought to dissolve the state, local government and ward executives as part of efforts to reorganise the party’s leadership framework nationwide.
However, those executives are widely believed to be aligned with Julius Abure’s leadership.
INEC’s intervention effectively means that the existing party structures remain legally recognised until any change is carried out through procedures recognised by the party constitution and communicated properly to the electoral body.
Implications
Political observers say the commission’s position reinforces the regulatory role of INEC in overseeing the internal processes of political parties, particularly where leadership disputes affect party structures.
By declining to recognise the dissolution, the electoral body has signalled that internal party changes must follow constitutional due process and must be formally acknowledged by the commission before they can take effect.
The development is expected to further shape the power struggle within the Labour Party as both factions continue to contest control of the party’s organisational structures across the country.
