Abure congratulates Amupitan, asks new INEC chair to recognise his LP leadership

Julius Abure, factional national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has congratulated Joash Amupitan on his appointment as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a congratulatory letter on Friday, Abure urged the new INEC chairman to resist political influence and remain firm in his commitment to justice and fairness.

He also commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Amupitan, describing him as a man “prepared to confront challenges and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.”

“I must say that you came prepared to face the challenges and to help secure our fragile democracy,” Abure said.

“Nigeria craves for an umpire who is apolitical and whose past has testimonies of love for the nation.

“Nigerians need a strong-willed umpire who will place the nation first and who will not succumb to cheap blackmail and little tricks by politicians.”

The LP factional chairman also appealed to Amupitan to ensure the implementation of court rulings recognising his leadership of the opposition party and to facilitate the inclusion of its candidates in the forthcoming federal capital territory (FCT) area council elections.

“As a worker in the temple of justice and one known to have always respected the rule of law, we urge you to revisit this abnormality and restore recognition to the current leadership of the Labour Party, as led by my humble self,” Abure said.

He also commended May Agbamuche-Mbu, the immediate past acting INEC chairperson, for taking steps to correct the “infractions against LP”.

Tinubu had on Thursday sworn in Amupitan as the substantive INEC chairman and urged him to protect the credibility of the country’s elections and strengthen the commission’s institutional independence.

The senate confirmed Amupitan’s appointment on October 16 after a screening exercise that tested his understanding of electoral management and reform.

Abure’s letter comes a week after he appealed to INEC to release the access code needed to upload LP candidates for the FCT area council polls—a request Agbamuche-Mbu had “promised to review”.

LP LEADERSHIP CRISIS

The leadership crisis has fractured the opposition party, leading to the emergence of parallel factions.

While Abure leads one group, Nenadi Usman heads the other faction as its interim national chairperson.

The rift has created uncertainty within the LP as the party prepares for the 2027 elections, with both factions asserting legitimacy and control over its activities.

In April, the supreme court ruled that the court of appeal lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure as the chairman.

Since the verdict, there have been various interpretations of the apex court’s ruling, with all factions claiming victory.