The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the faction led by Nenadi Usman to withdraw alleged derogatory remarks made against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary. The warning was contained in a statement released on Thursday by Obiora Ifoh, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, who described the remarks as a deliberate attempt to blackmail INEC and its former Acting Chairperson, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu.

According to Ifoh, Nenadi’s media aide, Ken Asogwa, had made comments that were both disrespectful and damaging to the image of INEC and the judiciary. He accused Asogwa of “political recklessness” and said such statements could not go unchallenged. The faction said the decision to demand a retraction within 72 hours was to protect the credibility of the nation’s democratic institutions.

The Abure-led camp stressed that it would not hesitate to petition the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) if Asogwa, who is also a lawyer, fails to retract the statement. “We view his action as an attempt to bring the judiciary to disrepute,” Ifoh said, adding that lawyers should argue their cases in court, not on social media platforms.

The statement further criticized Asogwa for calling a valid court order “fake,” describing his comment as unprofessional and unbecoming of a legal practitioner. Ifoh said such behavior undermines public confidence in the judiciary and violates the ethics of the legal profession.

He concluded by urging all political actors to show restraint and respect democratic institutions. “Dragging the integrity of the court into politics is unfortunate. Lawyers are supposed to defend, not destroy, the temple of justice,” he added.