Labour Party has withdrawn from the 2019 general elections due to its inability to conduct its primaries within the time stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Consequently, its only governorship candidate, who is contesting in Kwara State, Isa Aremu, has been left stranded.

Aremu is a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN).

Attempt to reach Aremu through calls and short message for his reaction to the development were not responded to as at the time of filling this report.

The party said in Abuja yesterday that it does not have candidates for all positions in the general elections

However, the party’s NEC insisted that the tenure of its National Chairman, Abdulkadir Salam, expired on October 10, 2018.

Speaking on the development, a member of NEC and immediate past National Publicity Secretary, Ebere Ifendu, explained that INEC had written to the National Working Committee (NWC) on October 2, to comply with the Order of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to conduct a national convention involving all parties covered by the terms of settlement filed on March 14, 2018.

Ifendu explained that because the executive could not follow the guidelines and directives of INEC, the party was unable to elect candidates for all positions before the expiration of INEC’s deadline for the primaries and submission of candidates’ list.