Edo Central Senatorial By-Elections: LP Candidate Laments Exclusion From Ballot, Expresses Optimism In 2027

The Labour Party, LP, Candidate in the August 16, 2025 Edo Central Senatorial by-elections, Engineer Christian Omofoma, has lamented his exclusion from the ballot by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, saying the action was deliberate and as such, violates democratic principles.

Omofoma who stated this recently while speaking to newsmen in Lagos, said he keeps wondering why the electoral body misinterpreted the Supreme Court’s judgement on the party’s leadership. He explained that the LP conducted its primaries in line with INEC guidelines and also completed necessary documentations within the legal window.

His words; “Like I said in other gatherings, my exclusion from the race was very sad. This is because our party, LP, followed the process, notified INEC, and held primaries that complied with the law. Yet, INEC claimed it had no candidate from Labour Party” He explained that the situation forced him to go to the Federal High Court hoping that they would rule in his favour, before the date of the election.

Recall that INEC declined to upload Omofoma’s name and other Labour Party candidates for by-elections nationwide, citing a pending legal interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling delivered in April, 2025.

The former LP flag bearer explained that the leadership tussle within the party, involving factions loyal to Julius Abure and those supporting Senator Nenadi Usman, should have been settled by the April 4 Supreme Court judgment, which he said struck out the Abure faction’s appeals and upheld the party’s internal decision-making authority.

He further recalled how a legal practitioner who joined him in a television program, Prince Wayne Elijah, supported his claims and insisted that the Supreme Court judgment was clear and unambiguous in nullifying Abure’s claim to the Labour Party leadership and that the counsel argued that LP had met that requirement by putting them on notice within the stipulated period. Agapin, that since INEC acknowledged receipt of the party’s notice for the primary elections, its failure to attend cannot invalidate the excercise.
He called on his supporters to remain calm, assuring them that what happened at the by-election will not happen, come 2027, noting that 2027 is just by the corner. “Let’s remain calm, 2027 General Elections is just by the corner” He said.