Says Decision yet to be Made on LP, PDP Leadership Crisis
- Safiu Kehinde
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied recognising factional leader of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, as the party’s National Chairman.
Reacting to reports on the inclusion of Abure on INEC’s list of parties leaders, the commission in a statement issued on Thursday, labelled the report as false and misleading.
INEC also dismissed the recognition of Farouk Umar as LP’s National Secretary as well as the reinstatement of Samuel Anyawu as the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Secretary.
The commission in the statement issued by its Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, held that it is yet to make any decision on the leadership crisis within both parties.
It maintained that the names as seen on the listing were previously uploaded following court order.
INEC said the order is still under study with the outcome billed to be communicated in due course.
The statement read in part; “Our attention has been drawn to some media reports claiming that the Commission has recognised certain persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP).
“The reports also inferred that the Commission has restored a particular individual as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), referring to the listings on the Commission’s official website.
“However, the reports are false and misleading. The Commission has not made any decision in respect of either the LP or PDP.
“The names of the National Officers of the LP had previously been uploaded to our website following a court order, not related in any way to the latest judgement of the Supreme Court. In the same manner, the name of the National Secretary of the PDP on the same website was neither deleted nor reinstated.
“As a law abiding institution, the Commission is carefully studying the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Labour Party and will communicate its decision to the public in due course.”