The leadership of the Labour Party has faulted the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude the party candidates from the scheduled August 16 bye-elections for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), saying such action is unlawful, surprising and an abuse of power.
The Labour Party, in an open letter to the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and signed by the Legal Adviser, Bayelsa State, Barr Enu Kikanwa Timipre, stated that INEC’s decision to exclude their candidates without valid reasons is a clear overstepping of its regulatory mandate.
Barr Timipre, in the letter titled “Re: Exclusion of Labour Party Candidates from August 16 Bye-Elections,” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, stated that “The commission’s role is to ensure compliance with the Electoral Act, not to dictate which parties can field candidates.”
“The sudden exclusion of our candidates without prior notice or explanation is unacceptable. INEC must provide clear reasons for its actions to maintain transparency and accountability.”
“We believe INEC’s actions are essentially an attempt to impose an illegal interpretation of the Supreme Court’s judgment. The court’s ruling did not empower INEC to meddle in the Labour Party’s internal affairs.”
“We therefore demand that INEC address this issue as urgently as possible. Specifically, We request that INEC should include our nominated candidates in the upcoming bye-elections or, better still, provide clear and valid reasons for its actions.”
“INEC must respect the rule of law and avoid any actions that could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.”
“If INEC fails to reverse its decision, it would not only undermine the electoral process but also imply that we should resort to other measures.”
“However, as law-abiding citizens who believe in the rule of law and the democratic process, we will be forced to explore legal avenues to ensure our candidates are rightfully on the ballot and will not relent until justice is served.”
