LP to boycott council polls in Anambra East

The Labour Party (LP) in Anambra East Local Government Area has threatened to boycott the 28 September local elections in the area.

The Chairperson of the LP in the council area, Chidi Chinwuba, and the party secretary, Onyeka Aghadiuno, disclosed this in a statement issued in Awka on Friday.

The statement urged the public to disregard any list published by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) that included any LP candidate in the council area.

According to the statement, the list did not originate from the party.

It explained that the LP neither conducted any primaries to nominate candidates nor submitted any names to ANSIEC.

Therefore, the party chieftains asked the commission to delist any flagbearer purportedly on the LP’s platform for the polls in the area.

They further threatened legal action against the commission should it publish the names of any LP candidates in the area for the exercise.

“LP Anambra East Chapter wishes to disassociate itself from the 28 September Local Government elections in the state.

“The party, through its rightful leadership, has issued a statement that we, as a party, are not participating in the election.

“The general public is hereby urged to disregard the list published by ANSIEC as the names attached to the LP in Anambra East did not originate from the party,” they stated.

They further warned that “anyone dealing with these individuals does so at their own risk,” adding that the party in the area would not be held liable for any negative occurrences.

They alleged that ANSIEC’s inclusion of the party’s candidates for the polls “suggests a desperation to involve parties in an already compromised election.

“Those responsible for this are mischief makers seeking to deceive the innocent and law-abiding citizens of Anambra East Local Government Area and Anambra State,” the statement added.

It further disclosed that the party’s state chapter was already in court, challenging the election process, and hence, would not participate in the exercise.

On 11 September, ANSIEC Chairperson Genevieve Osakwe released the final list of qualified candidates for the council polls.

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Mrs Osakwe said that the candidates and political parties for the elections should begin their campaigns, adding that the list of candidates had been published as required by the Electoral Act.

She urged the public to visit ANSIEC headquarters or the Local Government Areas to verify the names of the candidates contesting for various positions.

She assured the electorate that the election would be free, fair and credible.

(NAN)