Again, INEC omits Labour Party from ballot for NASS elections in Ondo

Barely hours after the Lagos State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) raised the alarm omission of their senatorial and House of Representatives candidates from the ballot in the Saturday, February 25 elections, their Ondo State fellows have registered similar complaints against the electoral umpire.

It would be recalled that the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone and reschedule the Saturday, February 25 elections in the state over the omission of the party in the House of Representatives and senatorial elections from the ballot papers to be deployed for the forthcoming polls.

The omission which the state chapter of the party described as ‘a frivolous plot against its candidates’ was discovered after INEC had last Wednesday taken delivery of sensitive materials meant for the conduct of the February 25 elections, and were inspected by the party’s leadership in the state.

However, barely hours after the complaint, the Ondo State chapter of the Labour Party has again raised the alarm over omission of party’s logo from the ballot in the National Assembly elections.

Reacting, Ondo LP chapter’s secretary, Mr Agbaje Abiodun, at a press briefing in Akure, Friday, while drawing attention of the general public to the omission of the party on the ballot, further threatened to challenge the action of INEC in court if it goes ahead to conduct the election as scheduled without amendments.

It would be recalled that the Chairperson of Labour Party in Lagos State, Mrs Dayo Ekong at a news conference in Ikeja, Friday, further said the party ‘denounces in its entirety the flagrant exclusion of the Labour Party candidates on the ballot papers’ for this Saturday’s National Assembly poll.

The party subsequently called on INEC ‘to postpone and reschedule the election until the party’s candidates duly included on the ballots.’

“This malicious error was detected earlier Friday in Lagos by team of executive members during the routine inspection of election materials.

“When we conducted an inspection, it was discovered that the Labour Party was not listed for the election for Senate and House of Representatives in Lagos State.

“This is unacceptable and a wicked way of disenfranchising Lagos electorate,” she has noted.

Further findings on the INEC website revealed that the list of names of Lagos Labour Party National Assembly candidates was not uploaded.

Continuing, LP leader said: “Even as the list and court orders for the same were duly submitted to INEC and acknowledged.”

She further lamented that ‘even the INEC has joined opposition to mare the chances of the party that is widely accepted by the people.’

”As Nigerians prepare to go to the polls to vote a new president and members of the Senate and House of Representatives on Saturday, the LP is decrying the flagrant exclusion of its National Assembly candidates on the ballot papers.

“This malicious ‘error’ was found out in Lagos this morning during the routine inspection of election materials by my executive members. It was at inspection that it was discovered that the L P was not listed for the election for the Senate and House of Representatives. This is unacceptable and a wicked way of disenfranchising Lagos State electorates.

“It is unimaginable that the Lagos electorate will only vote for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate for the elections slated for Saturday, Feb. 25, as INEC made no provision for the election of the Party’s Senate and House of Representatives Candidates. We cannot accept this as we do not believe that INEC made a mistake but rather a deliberate, malicious and intentional act to disenfranchise our supporters from exercising their civic rights, which is unacceptable.

”Further checks on the INEC website revealed that the names of Lagos LP candidates were not uploaded even as the list and court orders for the same were duly submitted to INEC and acknowledged. We have severally pointed out the bias displayed by the State INEC REC towards our Party and his increasing attacks on our leaders.”

The party, however, called on all stakeholders, lovers of democracy, foreign observers and the international community to quickly wade in.