The Anambra East Local Government Area (LGA) Labour Party (LP) has threatened to abstain from the local elections scheduled for September 28. In a statement released in Awka and provided to reporters on Friday, the party’s secretary and LG chairman, Chidi Chinwuba and Onyeka Aghadiuno, issued the threat. Any list released by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) that had any LP candidate in the LGA was advised to be disregarded, the statement advised the public.
It clarified that LP did not submit any names to ANSIEC or hold any primary elections to designate candidates. As a result, the two-party leaders instructed the commission to remove off the list any candidates who were allegedly on LP’s platform for the local elections. They also vowed to sue the commission if it published the names of any LP candidates in the region for the exercise. The LP Anambra East Chapter wants to withdraw from the state’s LG elections scheduled on September 28.
“The party has declared that it would not be fielding candidates in the election through the leadership that it rightfully holds.”The names connected to the LP in Anambra East did not come from the party, so the public is hereby advised to ignore the list released by ANSIEC, they declared. They said that the parties in the area would not be held responsible for any unfavorable events and that “anyone engaging with these individuals does so at their own risk.” They said that it “suggests a desperation to include parties in an already tainted election” that ANSIEC had included the party’s candidates in the polls.
The statement went on, “Those responsible for this are miscreants trying to fool the innocent and law-abiding inhabitants of Anambra East LGA and Anambra State.” It also revealed that the party’s state chapter will not be taking part in the activity because it was already in court contesting the election process.According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the final list of eligible candidates for the council elections was announced on September 11 by ANSIEC Chairperson, Mrs. Genevieve Osakwe.
The list of candidates has been released in accordance with the Electoral Act, Osakwe stated, adding that political parties and candidates for the elections should start their campaigns. She advised the people to check the names of the candidates running for various seats by going to the LGAs or ANSIEC offices. She gave the voters in Anambra her word that it would be a credible, fair, and free election.