The Anambra State local government elections scheduled for September 28, 2024 has caused great concern to the State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) and other political parties in the State who have vowed to take their grievances to court.
At a press conference held in Awka, addressed by Engineer Theo Egbe, the Labour Party’s State Publicity Secretary, the party expressed concern over what it described as sudden schedule of the council elections.
Egbe said after arising from a meeting of the State Working Committee that the party took a resolution to approach the court due to the observed irregularities in the planned election, including amended Anambra state electoral law and non-budgetary allocation for the elections in the 2024 appropriation.
He regretted that the elections were scheduled without proper planning and financial provisions which made it unacceptable to them.
He cited irregularities and insisted that the LP would contest the validity of the elections in court.
While reading the position of the party flanked by other state executive members of the twenty one Council Areas and 326 electoral wards, the Publicity Secretary explained that the party was getting ready for the elections as the anomalies were corrected and would abide by the court decision.
“As much as the State House of Assembly did not make any budgetary provisions for the proposed council elections, we are shocked and at a loss as to the speed of amendments upon amendment of the State Electoral Law even extending into the wee hours of night.
“After careful study of the amended Electoral Law by the State House of Assembly, LP has resolved to approach the court to challenge some of the obnoxious clauses in the hastily amended laws.
“However, we enjoin our teeming members at the grassroots to prepare and be ready for further instructions while we work assiduously to affirm our party’s final position within the coming days,” he added.
The State Secretary of the LP, Okorie Akirika Esq, on his part articulated some important provisions the party would challenge in the Anambra state amended electoral law to include sections attempting to regulate the conduct and management of political parties, political party dispute and results collation.
“There are outstanding provisions that purported to regulate the conduct and management of political parties. There are also those dealing with dispute in political parties and collation of results.
“We will challenge these and other unbridled illegality which are in direct conflicts with new National Electoral Act,” he concluded.
