The North-East Chapter of Arewa Labour Party Stakeholders Forum (ALPSF) has commended INEC for the eviction of Barr. Julius Abure – the former National Chairman of Labour Party – from the quarterly meeting with the leadership of all political parties held at INEC Headquarters Abuja on Monday July 29th 2024.
In a Press Statement issued in Yola Adamawa State, the group said the commendation was in view of the expiration of Abure’s NWC tenure and their refusal to obey valid Court Consent Judgement and Regulatory Agreement brokered by INEC to which Abure himself was signatory – for the conduct of “all-inclusive and expansive” National Convention that must include LP, NLC & INEC – who are jointly tripartite parties to the referred Consent Judgement and Settlement Agreement.
This was contained in the statement signed by their President, Mallam Danjuma BA Dikko, and Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Bakut Abba-Wilson.
The group recalled that Barr Abure and his cohorts had jettisoned both NLC & INEC, and even millions of LP members to embark on a “caricature”, secret, ‘less-than-one party ‘convention’, which was non-elective but selective as all participants were returned ‘unopposed’.
Interested contestants were not allowed to buy Forms to contest; and there were no congresses at Ward, LGA and State levels to elect delegates to the charade called ‘National Convention’, where they went to ‘build a castle on sand’ – without foundation.
While commending INEC for de-recognizing illegality and disrespect to binding Regulatory Agreements, the Group accused INEC of bias against LP for the over-sight of not inviting the Caretaker leadership led by Comrade Abdlwahed Omar to the quarterly meeting. According to LP Group, representatives of the millions of LP stakeholders (including members of the expired Abure NWC) and NLC collaborated with INEC to set up the Transition Committee led by Omar to oversee the party in ‘Acting’ capacity and conduct the “all-inclusive” Convention in compliance to the Consent Judgement and INEC-brokered Regulatory Agreement. The Transition Committee had been duly introduced and received by INEC, so it smacks of deliberate attempt to deny LP level playing field; and to tactically rig us out in ongoing Gubernatorial election in a State like Edo where LP victory is certain having already won 59% of votes there during the 2023 Presidential election (when APC and PDP combined got 41% i.e. APC 25% and PDP 16%). This history is of course, in addition to having the best Governorship candidate in Barr. Olumide Akpata – the former exemplary NBA President.
Creating avoidable/non-existent vacuum in LP leadership by delaying the recognition of the Transition leadership, INEC is deliberately blocking LP from submitting Polling Agents, participating in meetings and complying with other activities in ongoing and upcoming Governorship and Local Government elections nationwide. And we have it on good authority that this apparent oversight from INEC is deliberately sponsored by the opposition party APC’s desperation to win elections fraudulently in LP States by destabilizing the popular party. We cannot fold our arms and allow this to happen.
The Group gave INEC five (5) days ultimatum to issue a public apology to Labour Party and announce the recognition of the Acting leadership of LP led by Abdulwahed Omar and upload their names to INEC website immediately to enable them complete all ongoing party and election activities in addition to conducting the Congresses and Convention in compliance to the Consent Judgement and Regulatory Agreement.
They threatened to occupy INEC Offices nationwide as part of the ongoing “Protest on Bad Governance” and demand immediate sack of INEC Chairman Prof. Yakubu Mahmood if by August 7th 2024 INEC fails, neglects or refuses to remedy this targeted destruction of our dear party LP. We shall no longer allow the gentlemanly disposition of our leaders HE Mr. Peter Obi and Comrade Abdulwahed Omar among others, to continue to deny us level playing fields and hard earned victories in elections. If INEC allows leadership vacuum a day longer in LP, we shall mobilize our “peoples’ power” to ensure vacancy at INEC Charman’s office by insisting on his removal from office.
“For avoidance of doubt, if INEC does not recognize our interim leadership as demanded herein before August 7, 2024; in addition to ensuring the removal of INEC Chairman, we shall ensure that INEC reschedules all ongoing and upcoming elections to save LP from any disadvantage occasioned by this corruptly sponsored vacuum in our leadership.
“The ongoing and upcoming elections are for Labour Party to win; and not just to participate.
Enough Is Enough!”
