– Explains Why He Wasn’t Invited For Meeting
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has aside confirming the end of Barr Julius Abure’s tenure as the National Chairman of Labour Party, also stated why the embattled former Chairman was not invited to a training session it organized for political parties ahead of the Governorship election in Ondo State.
INEC, in a counter affidavit it deposed to at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in defence of Abure’s non inclusion in the training it organized for political parties, said that Abure’s tenure ended in June 2024.
Associates of the defunct National Chairman of the LP had dragged the electoral umpire to court for not including Labour Party in a training in Ondo State.
However, in the counter affidavit deposed in suit NO. FHC.ABJ/CS/1271/2024 by Mr. Ayuba Mohammed, who identified himself as an Executive Officer in the Department of Litigation and Prosecution in INEC Headquarters, INEC stated that according to “records Julius Abure’s tenure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, along with the party’s National Executive Committee, expired in June 2024.”
The electoral body told the court that it did not monitor the purported March 27, 2024 national convention of the party that Abure’s was claiming that he was reelected the national chairman of the Labour Party.
INEC further told the court that the purported convention was in the breach of extant electoral laws and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
INEC told the court its regulations requires it to deal only with valid National Chairman and National Secretaries of political parties and that as at August 16, 2024 when the notice for the refresher training programme ahead of the Ondo State election was published, the Labour Party had no valid national chairman and secretary.
