Labour Party Warns INEC It Risks Poll Nullification If Excluded from Bye-elections

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Julius Abure-led Labour Party (LP) warned Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it risked nullification of poll if it went ahead to conduct the August 16 bye-election without publishing the names of its candidates, and ensuring that its logo appeared on the ballot.

In a statement by the national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party also called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Professor Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC to respect the constitution and the electoral law by discharging its duties as specified by the laws of the land and avoid wasting tax payers’ money.

Accusing INEC of working for  anti-democratic interests, LP said going by the Electoral Act 2022, any political party excluded from participating in any election was expected to approach the court for remedy.

It said INEC was gambling with the huge resources of the country, which were being expended in the conduct of the bye-election scheduled to hold on Saturday.

The statement said, “We are not going to be helpless as the law has provided adequate remedies for any act or omission by the commission that has short-changed the political party or put its image in disrepute. 

“A political party is expected to guard its image and reputation jealously and Labour Party will not take any conduct by any agency or regulatory body intended to rubbish its reputation lightly.

“One wonders what interest INEC is protecting that will make it throw the entire country into unnecessary crisis and incurring such a colossal financial waste.

“By virtue of the Supreme Court decision delivered on the April 4, 2025, the court stated that the issues of leadership is an internal affairs of the party and going by the internal mechanism of the party, the party has held a convention on the 27th of March 2024 at Nnewi, which produced the current leadership as led by Barrister Julius Abure. One wonders what the problem is with INEC.

“INEC under Prof. Yakubu must respect the decisions of both the Supreme Court and the leadership of the Labour Party.”