STATEMENT FROM THE LABOUR PARTY
Labour Party alerts INEC of illegal Governorship primaries in Anambra
..Says Candidate since emerged, name already submitted to INEC
The leadership of the Labour Party has alerted the nation and particularly, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of an illegal primaries for the Anambra state governorship election allegedly being conducted by some disgruntled members of the party.
For the benefit of doubt, the Labour Party has since concluded its governorship primaries in Anambra State and the name of the successful candidate has already being submitted to the INEC in line with the election guidelines. We are therefore disassociating the party from any other or outcome of any primaries as the party has moved on, waiting for the right time to flag off our campaigns
In line with the party constitution, INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act, the processes leading to the primaries started with the issuance of 21 days Mandatory notice to INEC by the Labour Party, after which we issued the notices of the commencement of our primaries.
Two aspirants, John Nwosu and Chief Moghalu met the requirements after the screening. The party on April 1st, 2025 conducted its Ward Congresses and the Party primaries on April 5th, 2025. Moghalu polled a total of 573 delegate votes to defeat his only contestant, Chuma Nwosu, who got 19 votes in the hitchfree exercise. The party has also issued a certificate of return to the winner and the party candidate for the November 8, 2025 election.
INEC has in an official communication stated that all political parties must complete its primaries on or before April 10, 2025 in compliance with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022. Also in line with the provision of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC had mandated the Political Parties to abide by the guidelines particularly to enable the Commission to plan for the effective monitoring of the primaries.
The Labour Party has since complied with all the processes of producing its candidate in an exercise monitored by top INEC officials, and has even submitted the names of its candidates. We are therefore warning anyone or group of persons who have chosen to disrupt a process which has begun over a month ago and has reached a logical conclusion with the submission of the candidate names to desist from from such malfeasance and mischief.
The leadership of the Labour Party will not hesitate to mete out severe disciplinary sanction against anyone who has elected to be an agent of distabilisation and confusion in the party. We have sufficiently warned members of the party to always abide by the rules of engagement and also to respect the supremacy of the party as advised recently by the Supreme Courts.
We are however calling on the party members in Anambra State and particularly, lovers of democracy in Nigeria to help rescue Anambra State from imminent collapse owning from bad governance inflicted on the people by the present leadership in the state. Of all the major candidates on the offer, Labour Party has produced the best and most experienced candidate whose track record in both private and public sectors speaks for itself.
SIGN
Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary
Labour Party
10/04/2025