INEC Disqualifies Labour Party from Edo National Assembly By-elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that the Labour Party will not be participating in the forthcoming National Assembly by-elections in Edo State, scheduled to take place next week.

INEC’s announcement revealed that only nine political parties met the necessary requirements to field candidates for the polls. The elections are being held to fill vacancies in the Edo Central Senatorial District and the Ovia Federal Constituency, following the elevation of Senator Monday Okpebholo and Hon. Dennis Idahosa to the positions of Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively.

During a press briefing in Benin City, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo State, Professor Anugbum Onuoha, stated that the Labour Party failed to notify the commission of its intention to conduct primaries and did not comply with established procedures required to nominate candidates.

“From available records, the Labour Party, alongside a few others, neither invited INEC to observe their primaries nor adhered to the statutory processes. In some instances, our officials arrived at venues only to find them locked, with no activities taking place,” the REC explained.

This clarification counters earlier assertions by Labour Party officials that a candidate, Paul Okojie, had been duly nominated for the Edo Central senatorial race.

INEC listed the nine political parties cleared to contest the by-elections as: Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Professor Onuoha affirmed the commission’s readiness to conduct a credible election, disclosing that non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed, and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) fully configured. He also noted that, out of 719,504 registered voters across the affected seven local government areas, 101,617 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain uncollected.

In response to recent calls by the PDP for his removal, the Edo REC dismissed the demand, urging the media to focus on supporting transparent electoral processes.

“The institutional structure of INEC makes compromise virtually impossible. Even if your relative were appointed, they could not manipulate the system,” he stated.