The Labour Party faction loyal to Julius Abure has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks the powers to deregister any political party.
It said that its attention has been drawn to a statement issued by the interim chairman of the faction loyal Mr Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the party, Senator Nenadi Usman, describing her as a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The faction recalled where Senator Usman claimed that the quick intervention of some leaders of the party at the September 4, 2024 Stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, saved the party from being deregistered by INEC.
Responding through a statement by the Abure-led LP, its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described the statement as “ludicrous, unattainable, unsubstantiated and a pack of lies.“
“We wish to state emphatically that the Labour Party is in a good shape at the moment, having fully abided by the laws of the land and therefore cannot be deregistered by INEC.
“These leaders have also mischievously leveraged on INEC’s misinformed and erroneous disposition that the tenure of the party’s current executives has expired. It is paradoxical that some of these leaders who were victims of INEC’s mismanagement of the 2023 general election are now the ones quoting INEC, in order to victimise the leadership of the Labour Party.
“As we have maintained earlier, the September 4 Stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia is unconstitutional and illegal as the party’s constitution clearly states all the organs of the party, of which stakeholder is not one of them. The stakeholder group which produced Senator Usman as its leader has no foundation whatsoever, and therefore, its existence is delusional and can never be recognised by INEC or any law of the land,” the statement said.
According to Obiora, “Senator Nenadi’s claim that the stakeholders saved the party from being deregistered by the INEC is equally preposterous. This is because the existence of the Labour Party is not under any threat. Perhaps, Nenadi Usman is not aware that Appeal Courts both in Edo State and FCT have affirmed Julius Abure as the rightful National Chairman of the party.
“She is probably unaware that a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice J.K Omotosho had also declared that the national convention of the party held in Nnewi on the March 26, 2024 is valid and was conducted in line with the requirement of both the 2022 Electoral Act and Labour Party Constitution.
“We wish to remind Senator Usman that even the Supreme Court in several judgments had ruled that issues regarding delegates at a National Convention or how the convention is planned and executed by a political party are outside the jurisdiction of any Court of the land being internal affairs of the – such a Party.
“We are aware of all efforts by Senator Usman and her co-travellers to pressure the INEC to cave in to their wishes and demands, but unknown to her, INEC as an institution is bound to respect the laws of the land as clearly stated in Sections 82(1), 82(3) and 82(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Articles 7, 13(1), 13(1) (b) (ii), 13(1) (b) (viii) and 13 (1) () (ix) of the party constitution and cannot afford to act irrational even if it wants to.
“We also contend that the allegations that the Labour Party did not meet the 21 days required notice to INEC to conduct the convention, has since been laid to rest as Justice Omotosho was emphatic that the Labour Party did not default having sent its notices which exceeded the 21 days notice required by section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“We are also aware of their desperate moves to shop for courts in Abia state that will be willing to illegally carry out their bidding. We advise the Stakeholders to stop dissipating energy in forum-shopping particularly with a court that lacks territorial jurisdiction. It is laughable because, both INEC and Labour Party have their headquarters in Abuja and the stakeholders are shopping for a court in Aba, where they hope to get political patronage. We urge them to seek proper counsel.
“We urge Senator Usman and her co-travellers to retrace their steps for the interest of the party and Nigerians as 2027 is fast approaching. We want to remind them that factionalising the party will help no one’s interest,” Ifoh.
