By Goodluck B Ikiebe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected Julius Abere as the National Chairman of Labour Party.
This is contained in a counter-affidavit filed in the Federal High Court Abuja, in response to Labour Party’s suit, challenging its exclusion from INEC’s refresher training for uploading party agents, ahead of the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.
INEC insisted in the document that Abure’s tenure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party expired in June 2024.
Months after the 2023 General election, the Labour Party has been in a series of leadership tussle.
In June this year , the party’s congress in Anambra state extended the tenure of the Julius Abure led executive.
But the outcome of that congress has further added to the burden of internal crisis within the party,
On September 4, prominent chieftains of the Labour party including the former deputy chairman, Callistus Okafor, the governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, and the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, tried to resolve the impasse by convoking a national congress where a -29- member committee was inaugurated to oversee the affairs of the party.
One of the factions loyal to Abure has refused to recognize the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman.