- Safiu Kehinde
The Labour Party has hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its rejection of candidates sponsored by the Julius Abure-led faction of the party ahead of the August 16 by-elections in Anambra.
NPO Reported that INEC had excluded the Labour Party candidates from its list of legible candidates for the election.
The candidates were presented by the faction led by Abure who had since been removed as the party’s National leader by the Supreme Court ruling on April 4.
While the apex court had ruled that Abure had exceeded his tenure, the court declared Sen. Nenadi Usman as the party’s authentic National Chairman.
This had caused divide in the Labour Party and deepened the crisis rocking the party.
Meanwhile, the Anambra Chairman of the party, Peter Okoye, commended INEC for rejecting Abure’s candidates.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday in Awka, Okoye held that the commission showed respect to the rule of law.
“We commend INEC’s decision. The commission has shown respect for the rule of law,” he said.
Okoye warned that any individual or group still conducting party business with Abure and his allies does so at the risk of sanctions.
The Chairman urged voters to turn out en masse on Saturday and support only candidates with impeccable and credible character.
He clarified that the LP in the state has no candidate in the forthcoming by-elections and no alliance with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to him, the party is law-abiding and will always operate within the confines of the law.
He passed a vote of confidence on the LP under Usman’s leadership.
According to reports, INEC will conduct by-elections in Anambra South Senatorial District and Onitsha North 1 Constituency.
The polls will replace the late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah and the late Mr Justice Azuka, who was kidnapped on Christmas eve and later found dead.