Anambra: LP to boycott LG poll, threatens law suit

By Jude Opara

The Anambra State Chapter of the Labour Party, (LP) says it will not participate in the September 28 Local Government Area election in the state.
The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Theo Egbe, stated this on Thursday in Awka, adding that the party would also challenge the electioneering process in court over alleged failure to abide by electoral guidelines.
“Labour Party will not play alongside the identified irregularities, which is the inability to follow provisions of the Electoral Act when conducting council polls.
“The state’s template for the proposed election should be inline with the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) guidelines for conducting elections,” he said.
According to him, areas in the amended act which regulated conduct and management of political parties, party disputes and collation, were worrisome and; these among others, were reasons why the party would boycott the election.
He urged the government to reschedule the election to meet with INEC election standards which entailed providing fair play-ground for all contestants.
The LP scribe alleged that the party state office was sealed on Aug. 27 without prior notice or notice of offence committed by the party.
Egbe alleged further that the party offices located at the Udoka Housing Estate in Awka were sealed off by suspected agents of the state government.
He, however, appealed to LP members, supporters, sympathisers, stakeholders and Anambra people not to take laws into their hands.
But the Special Adviser to Gov. Charles Soludo on Political Matters, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, refuted the LP claims on sealing of the party offices.
Obiogbolu said that the matter was a case between the state housing corporation and the landlord of the place, having nothing to do with the state government.
He advised the party to excuse the state government and address its challenges instead of heaping blames on the state government.