Civil society organisations (CSOs) aligned with the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the National Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the inclusion of LP candidates in the forthcoming nationwide bye-elections.

The demonstrators, numbering in dozens, arrived at the INEC headquarters in Abuja around 11:00 am, holding banners and placards with inscriptions such as: “INEC, who is using you against LP?”, “Mahmood, stop destroying democracy in Nigeria”, and “Tell INEC to obey court orders”.

The protest is the latest in a string of actions taken by Labour Party supporters and stakeholders amid the party’s ongoing internal leadership tussle and allegations of exclusion from electoral processes.

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Speaking during the protest, some of the CSO leaders accused INEC of taking sides in the leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party.

They called on the electoral body to respect court judgments that reportedly affirm the legitimacy of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC).

They argued that excluding LP candidates from the bye-elections amounts to voter suppression and an attack on democratic participation.

“We are here today not just for the Labour Party, but for democracy itself,” one of the organisers said. “INEC must not be used as a tool to disenfranchise Nigerians or meddle in the internal affairs of political parties.”

The CSOs also submitted a petition at INEC’s office, urging the Commission to act in accordance with the rule of law and ensure a level playing field for all political actors ahead of the bye-elections.

INEC has yet to issue an official response to the protest as of the time of filing this report.