The Labour Party (LP) in Anambra State has described the September 28 local government election as a sham and waste of resources.
The party which had earlier distanced itself from the exercise, also described the conduct of both the government and the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) as assault on due process and rape of the electoral system.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, state publicity secretary, Engr Theo Egbe advised the government to save the State the enormous resources billed for wastage by jettisoning the election.
He said the government should rather opt for a properly organized council election by a well prepared, ready and properly equipped electoral umpire.
The party also raised the alarm over the publication of the names of members of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as its candidates for the election.
It said it neither sold forms for the election, nor did it conduct any primary elections to nominate candidates.
The Labour Party, Anambra State Chapter, firmly reiterates its position that the illegal and chaotic council election, rushed by ANSIEC under the Anambra State Government, is unworthy of participation, and the party’s stance remains unchanged.
We have officially conveyed our firm position that the Labour Party is not participating in this charade to ANSIEC, and we have clearly informed the people of Anambra as well. Our lawsuit, No. A/265/2024: Labour Party vs. Anambra State House of Assembly & ANSIEC, has been served to the commission and is still pending in court.
“Our official letter to ANSIEC and copied to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Director of DSS and other relevant bodies, dated September 9, 2024, Labour Party remained unequivocal about our total lack of faith, trust and confidence in both ANSIEC and the shabby illegal process they adopted, for being at complete variance with due process and the Electoral Act, 2022.
It is deeply troubling, absurd, and outrageous that despite the Labour Party suing the commission, not selling nomination forms, not holding primary elections, and not submitting its register or any list of candidates, it was still dubiously published and falsely represented as having ‘sponsored’ candidates for the farcical Local Government election
“A careful perusal of the commission’s list of these fangled Labour Party “candidates” reveals that the names belong to known members of the defeated, soludo faction of APGA, including the name of an APGA Transition Committee Chairman, (Orumba North LGA) and that of both past and current Transition Committee Councilors of APGA extraction.
“The Labour Party, Anambra State Chapter views this conduct of ANSIEC and Anambra State Government as an assault on due process and a rape of the Electoral Laws of the land, as well as unwarranted provocation of the law abiding members of Labour Party at large.
“In conclusion Sirs, the Labour Party family of Anambra State pledges to remain law abiding, even in the face of these glaring absurdities, illegalities and crass provocations and diligently commit to the legal pursuit of dismantling the sham branded Anambra L.G.A election via the law courts.
“And in good conscience, Labour Party still appeals to ANSIEC and the Anambra State Government to save Anambra State the enormous resources clearly billed for wastage by jettisoning this ignoble proposed LGA election of September 28, 2024 and rather opt for a properly organized Anambra State Local Government election by a well prepared, ready and properly equip ANSIEC, that will be based on the rule of law and due process, in which all political parties and voters alike shall meaningfully and procedurally participate.
Anambra State stands to lose nothing by postponing this unacceptable and disreputable proposed sham of an LGA election and holding a lawful, legitimate one in the near future. Rather the state has so much to gain for it.
Also speaking, state secretary of the party, Barr Okoli Akirika said: “During the 2023 election we heard of unknown Bishops. We have also heard of unknown gunmen, and today through ANSIEC, we hear of unknown candidates.
For clarity, the individuals listed as Labour Party candidates are not our members. We did not sponsor them, and we had already informed everyone that we are not participating in this election. We did not sponsor them, and we had already informed everyone that we are not participating in this election.ad already told you people that we are not part of the election.”
