Politics
INEC’s Absence Didn’t Invalidate Abure’s Reelection — LP
The leadership of Labour Party on Wednesday said the absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission at the March 27 national convention does not invalidate the election that returned its National Chairman, Julius Abure, and members of the National Working Committee to office.
This was disclosed by the National Legal Adviser of LP, Kehinde Edun, at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
Edun’s statement comes three days after INEC announced that none of its officials attended or monitored proceedings at the disputed convention held at Nnewi, Anambra State.
In the past four months, Abure has been at loggerheads with the Nigeria Labour Congress over the legitimacy of his re-election.
The party’s internal rift remains unresolved as the NLC and its stakeholders continue to distance themselves from the current NWC.
The situation escalated further when INEC responded to a request by a lawyer for a Certified True Copy of its report on the convention and the party’s constitution.
In the letter referenced INEC/DEPM/LP/CTC/885/1 dated July 18 and signed by Acting Secretary, Haliru Aminu, the commission declared that it couldn’t report on the convention because it did not monitor it.
The letter, which was sighted by The PUNCH, partly read, “The commission has received your request for the Certified True Copy of the monitored report of the Labour Party convention at Nnewi, Anambra State, held on the 27th of March 2024, and the Labour Party constitution.
“The Certified True Copy of the Labour Party Constitution has been forwarded to your firm earlier.
“Regrettably, the commission did not monitor the Labour Party Convention of 27th March 2024 and cannot therefore report on the convention.”
The position of the electoral umpire has since led to a chain reaction, with the NLC insisting that it has been vindicated.
But addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, Edun said the INEC letter was wrongly interpreted.
According to the national legal adviser, the presence or absence of INEC officials does not any affect the legitimacy of the national convention.
He said, “On the deliberate misinterpretation of INEC’s reply to an application by Messr Steve Adehi, SAN & Co, this letter is very clear and unambiguous and shouldn’t have been the subject of any argument. However not finding anything to hold against us, they went to import what is not contained in the letter into it. The applicant (an agent of the NLC) requested for the CTC of INEC to monitor the report of the Labour party convention 2024 and the constitution. Even though the applicant and his principal were dishonest, mischievous, dubious, and manipulative, INEC’s response was accurate and unpretentious.
“How on earth could there be an INEC monitored report when we have made it clear that INEC did not attend, a position also confirmed by INEC and is in the public domain. The NLC and its cronies including the applicant knew INEC didn’t attend. Why then ask for the INEC report and what is their business with it?
“In paragraph 3 of the INEC’s response, the commission expressed regret that it did not monitor the convention and could therefore not have an INEC-monitored report. Now, did the non-attendance of INEC invalidate the convention? The answer is capital no and INEC never said so. The law did not make it mandatory for INEC to attend any party’s convention. INEC knew they were at liberty to come or not. What the law requires is proper notice. Take note that the law did not say the failure of INEC to attend shall render the convention invalid. What then is the essence of the dishonest, dubious, and misconceived hue and cry by the NLC?”
Continuing, the party counsel warned that it can’t be intimidated or cowed by any external aggressor and wouldn’t fold it hands to watch the party being hijacked.
He said this on Saturday in a tweet on his X handle, adding that he was surprised at the wide reports that the ADC is the opposition coalition’s platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
”Nigerian newspapers often contribute to our challenges. A group is in the process of pursuing party registration, just like any other Nigerian, but they need to coordinate this with the coalition.
He maintained that ADA has not been adopted by the coalition, stressing that the public will be informed about the appropriate choices and decision reached by the coalition on ADA.
”ADA has not been adopted by the coalition, and when the time is right, the public will be informed about the appropriate choices and decisions. Just be patient with that.,” he wrote
Recall that the Nigeria National Coalition Group (NCG) formally wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking the registration of a new political party – All Democratic Alliance, ADA.
This has sparked speculations that Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufa’i, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and others would adopt ADA as their platform for the 2027 election.
In a post shared via his official X account (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Keyamo ridiculed the move, describing it as a “pedestrian joke.”
“If they are thinking of recreating what the APC did in 2013, then this is nothing but a pedestrian joke; a complete mockery of that seismic political coalition,” keyamo wrote.
The proposed party, driven by the National Opposition Coalition Group, includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Umar Ardo, a former aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and convener of the League of Northern Democrats, among others.
It was reported that the group applied for registration as a political party with the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday and the process was formally acknowledged by the commission on Friday
Keyamo, however, downplayed the move, describing it as an overhyped political stunt ahead of the 2027 elections.
The minister added, “This is just a simple application for party registration. There is nothing like a ‘coalition’ here.
“It is an unnecessary hype the promoters have been struggling to create all along; it is just psychological warfare on Nigerians — a weak attempt at mass appeal.”
He further argued that no officially recognised political parties were involved in the registration effort, insisting it amounted to little more than a private initiative.
“This is not different from several political associations springing up every day for the same purpose.
“After all the razzmatazz, it boils down to the fact that a new political party is just attempting registration by a few Nigerians — it is a disappointing anti-climax to all the preceding pomp and pageantry,” Keyamo concluded.
He also said that it did not suggest that trouble was looming for the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“I can tell you today, but go and write it down and remember this day. Asiwaju has no threat,” the governor said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday while reacting to the formation of a group, National Opposition Coalition Group, chaired by a former Senate President, David Mark.
Speaking further, he said that most of those in support of the coalition were unaware of the efforts of activists who campaigned for democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
Sani explained, “Most of the people speaking today, where were they when we were in the trenches fighting for democracy, for justice, for good governance, for the rule of law? They didn’t know anything about it.
“When we had that fight under our leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory. You know what happened? We were not fighting because we wanted power. We were fighting because we want democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
“That was the reason why when Abdulsalami Abubakar started his transition, remember, and he insisted that he would register all the two political parties — the Alliance for Democracy, the APP, and the PDP — we went with our team and our leader then, (the late) Chief Gani Fawehinmi, told us we were not going to participate in that election, and we look at him and said, ‘Why?’
“He said because the battle was not over, we have to fight for the expansion of the political space in Nigeria, and that was the reason why some of us, including my humble self, took INEC to court. So when people are talking about the denial of registration or whatever, I was surprised. Where were they?”
The governor noted that such pro-democracy efforts by him and others led to the expansion of the political space and the emergence of a multi-party system.
He added, “So, Nigerians are very clever. They’re very smart. They have been following the trajectory of political events in Nigeria. When you tell them, ‘I can change things,’ they will look at you and say, ‘What did you do five years ago? What did you do six years ago? Were you not in power? Why are we still in this problem?”
The Kaduna governor also said he was not afraid of opposition based on the performance of his administration in the state.
Sani said, “I’m not afraid of anything. I will tell you why I’m not afraid of anything. When people are talking about the North against Asiwaju, the North against this, I just hope we have more time, I will come to you with the statistics.
“In 2023, let me give you Kaduna as an example. I’m sure it might be the same with many states. I looked at the poverty index in the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State. I looked at the poverty index in Kaduna; out of 23 local governments, the poverty level in 17 local governments was about 70 per cent. That was the statistics as of 2023.
“So, what did I do? The first thing I did was sign an executive order on financial inclusion. Today, 2.5 million of our vulnerable, underserved, and poor, who are mostly living in rural areas, we have brought them back to the financial services sector.
“We opened accounts for them, and we supported them with social intervention. Now, they can save, they can borrow. They can promote their businesses.”
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