INEC Facing Legal Action Over Labour Party Presence In Edo, Ondo Gubernatorial Races

The Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CRPA), a civil group, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, urging the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prevent the Labour Party (LP) from participating in the upcoming Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States…CONTINUE READING

The group is seeking to bar the Labour Party from endorsing candidates or presenting nominees for the Edo and Ondo gubernatorial polls to prevent potential violations of the law.

The core concern of the CRPA is that the Labour Party is allegedly violating sections 222 and 223 of the 1999 Constitution by failing to organize a National Convention to elect national leaders as required by law.

In the lawsuit against INEC, the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and Lamidi Apapa, the CRPA is requesting the court to prohibit Abure and Apapa from nominating candidates or claiming to be National Officers of the party.

The lawsuit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/301/2024, was initiated on behalf of the CRPA by two legal practitioners, Ukpai Ukairo and Kalu Agu.

The plaintiff argues that the Labour Party last held its National Convention on June 10, 2019, which resulted in the current national leadership of the party.

Furthermore, the plaintiff contends that the Labour Party has violated sections 222 and 223 by failing to convene another Convention within the mandated four-year period to elect new officers, as prescribed by the Constitution.

Due to this alleged breach of the Constitution, the CRPA asserts that the Labour Party should be proscribed, and INEC should be directed by the court to invoke section 225 of the Constitution to deregister the party.

The plaintiff alleges that the Labour Party intends to nominate candidates for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, and unless restrained, INEC may accept these candidates.

The CRPA asserts that both Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa have purportedly conducted separate primary elections, and INEC should be prohibited from accepting their nominees or including the party’s logo on the ballot paper.

Additionally, the plaintiff claims that the names and addresses of National Officers of the Labour Party are not registered with INEC, as required by law.

In a 30-paragraph affidavit supporting the originating summons, it is argued that all political parties in Nigeria are obligated to conduct democratic elections at least once every four years.

The affidavit, deposed to by Emmanuella Alisi, a Civil Rights Crusader and Field Officer of the group, insists that since the Labour Party convened its last National Convention over four years ago, it no longer possesses the Constitutional authority to function as a political party in Nigeria.

Currently, no hearing date has been scheduled for the suit.