Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has called on his supporters to vote for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the upcoming by-elections. The by-elections are scheduled to take place on August 16, 2025, across 16 states, including contests for two senatorial and five federal house of representatives seats.
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In a post on his X page, Obi, who is part of an ADC-led coalition, explained that his decision was a result of the LP not having any candidates recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to an internal party crisis.
“Kindly note that the Labour Party has no candidates recognised by INEC due to the internal crisis,” Obi wrote. “I humbly urge every member of the Obidient and COPDEM families to go out and vote for the coalition political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in their respective states.”
The controversy stems from INEC’s exclusion of LP candidates’ names from its official list on August 2. The candidates had emerged from primaries organized by the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC). This move sparked a protest march to INEC’s Abuja headquarters.
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On the other hand, the Nenadi Usman faction of the LP praised INEC’s decision, describing it as a relief and stating that the electoral body is expected to publish the “authentic list of candidates” submitted by the lawful leadership of the party.
In response, Obiora Ifoh, the national publicity secretary of the Abure faction, warned on August 12 that the election could be nullified if INEC omits their candidates. He cited the Electoral Act 2022, which allows an excluded political party to seek a legal remedy. Ifoh also accused INEC of acting in the interest of anti-democratic forces and wasting public funds.
Since the 2023 general election, the Labour Party has been plagued by a leadership crisis, with rival factions vying for control and legitimacy.
