INEC excludes Labour Party NASS candidates in Lagos, party calls for postponement of election

IBRAHIM QUADRI

The Labour Party Lagos State Chairman, Pastor Mrs. Dayo Ekong on Thursday decried the exclusion of the party National Assembly candidates on the ballot papers, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to either correct the anomally or reschedule the lawmakers’ elections in the State.

This was contained in a press release made available to our correspondent which was signed the party State’s Publicity Secretary, Mrs Olubunmi Odesanya.

It disclosed that  Pastor Ekong and her team of executive members noticed the blunder during the routine inspection of election materials.

The statement further disclosed that it was at the inspection that the team discovered that Labour Party was not listed for the election for Senate and House of Representatives in Lagos State.

The statement read, “As Nigerians prepare to go to the polls in a couple of days to elect a new President and Honourable men and women into the Senate and House of Representatives, Labour Party Lagos State Chairman, Pastor Mrs. Dayo Ekong had decried the flagrant exclusion of the Labour Party National Assembly Candidates on the ballot papers.

“Pastor Mrs Ekong, this Thursday morning, has called out INEC to either correct this anomaly or reschedule the National Assembly  elections.

“This malicious “error” was found out this morning in Lagos,  by Pastor Ekong and her team of executive members during the routine inspection of election materials. It was at inspection that it was discovered that Labour Party was not listed for the election for Senate in and House of Representatives in Lagos State. This, she  says  is unacceptable and a wicked way of disenfranchising Lagos electorates.

“It is unimaginable that for the elections slated for Saturday February 25,  Lagos electorate will only vote for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate as INEC made  no provision for the election of  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 by INEC at disenfranchising our supporters from exercising their civic rights which is unacceptable

“Further checks on the INEC website revealed that the list of names of Lagos Labour Party National Assembly was not uploaded even as the list and court orders for same were duly submitted to INEC and acknowledged.

*You will all recall how we have severally pointed out the bias displayed by the current INEC REC in Lagos State towards our Party and his increasing attacks on our Leaders that have constantly pointed out these biases in the past and current onslaught on our Party. Is this the result of the culmination of those attacks?

“We call on all Stakeholders, Foreign Observers, Lovers of Democracy and International Community to quickly wade in and call INEC to order to do the needful.”