Maroc - NOTCHNEWSONLINE.COM.NG - A La Une - 14/Sep 15:53

Anambra LG polls: LP Accuses ANSIEC of Publishing APGA members as LP candidates

The Labour Party in Anambra State has accused ANSIEC for publishing the names of members of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as it’s candidates for the forthcoming local government election in the state. The party in a press conference held at Awka  on Saturday said they neither sold forms for the local government election, and also did not conduct any primary elections to nominate candidates, and wondered where the names published by ANSIEC came from. The state publicity secretary of the party, Engr Theo Egbe who addressed journalists at the state party secretariat stressed that the election which is scheduled for September 28 is a mere jamboree. He said: “They have conducted the elections in their rooms and waiting to announce the results, it's indeed quite unfortunate that they came up with the list of APGA members as our members”The state secretary of the party, Barr Okoli Akirika who also spoke to journalists said: “During the 2023 election we heard of unknown bishops. We have also been hearing of unknown gunmen, and today through ANSIEC, we are hearing of unknown candidates.“For purposes of clarity, the person published as candidates of Labour Party are not our members, they were not sponsored by us, and we had already told you people that we are not part of the election.”Continuing they said that their unchanging position that LP is not participating in the charade has officially been conveyed to ANSIEC and the entire Anambrarians were unmistakably and unequivocally put on the same notice too. Our suit No A/265/2024; LABOUR PARTY VS ANAMBRA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY & ANOR has been duly served on the commission and is still pending in Court."Our official letter to ANSIEC and copied to the Anambra State Commissioner of police, Anambra State Director of DSS and other relevant bodies, dated 9″ September, 2024, Labour Party remained unequivocal about our total lack of faith, trust and confidence in both ANSIEC and the shabby illegal process they adopted, for being at complete variance with due process and the Electoral Act, 2022.""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 ofcandidates to ANSIEC, was dubiously published and held out to have ‘sponsored’ candidates for the farcical Local Government Election. 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."The Labour Party, Anambra State Chapter said it views the 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.Concluding, the Labour party in state pledged 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 L.G.A Council election via the law courts.