By Jude Michael
The Labour Party in Anambra State has raised an alarm over the publication of the names of members of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as its candidates for the forthcoming Local Government Elections in the state.
The party in a press conference it addressed on Saturday, September 14, said they neither sold forms for the Local Government Elections, nor did it conduct any primary elections to nominate candidates.
The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Engr Theo Egbe, who addressed journalists at the state party secretariat, said the elections which are scheduled for September 28, are a mere sham.
He said: ‘They have conducted the elections in their rooms and waiting to announce the results.’
A press release read by the party stated: “Kindly take note of the previously confirmed position of Labour Party, Anambra State Chapter, that the illegally packaged and lawlessly commenced obnoxious LGA Council elections being midwifed by the hastily conceived and ill prepared ANSIEC by the Anambra State Government is not worthy of our participation and this LP position remains irrevocably unchanged.
“It is really very worrisome, criminally egregious and outlandishly absurd that Labour Party that sued the commission, never sold nomination forms nor conducted any primary elections, and never submitted its register; not to mention submission of any list of candidates to ANSIEC, was dubiously published and held out to have sponsored candidates for the farcical Local Government Elections.
“The Labour Party, Anambra State Chapter, views this conduct of ANSIEC and Anambra State Government as a criminal assault on due process and a rape of the Electoral Laws of the land, as well as unwarranted provocation of the law abiding members of Labour Party at large.’
The party said the names published as candidates of LP belonged to well-known APGA stalwarts, some of which, it said, were presently transition committee chairmen of local governments.
“A careful perusal of the commission’s list of these fangled Labour Party ‘candidates’ reveals that the names belong to known members of the defeated, Soludo faction of APGA, including the name of a current APGA Transition Chairman, (Orumba North LGA) Mr. Nwafor Chinonso CharlesMary Casmir, and that of both past and current transition councilors of APGA extraction.
“Labour Party family of Anambra State pledges to remain law abiding, even in the face of these glaring absurdities, illegalities and crass provocations and diligently commit to the legal pursuit of dismantling the sham branded Anambra LGA Council elections via the law courts.
“Labour party still appeals to ANSIEC and the Anambra State Government to save Anambra State the enormous resources clearly billed for wastage by jettisoning this ignoble proposed LGA Council Elections of 28th September, 2024, and rather opt for a properly organized Anambra State Local Government Council Elections.
“Anambra State has absolutely nothing to lose by rescheduling this unacceptable and inglorious proposed sham called LGA Council Elections for a lawful and legal one to be conducted in the nearest future. Rather, the state has so much to gain for it,” the party said.
