PDP to present certificate of return to Ighodalo today
The leadership of the Labour Party has dismissed a letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by a factional group of the party led by Lamidi Apapa, declaring Anderson Uwadiae Asemote and Monday Ojore Mawa as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiorah Ifoh, yesterday, clarifying that the letter did not emanate from the party, and that the authors were fraudulent and desperate people seeking recognition.
Ifoh explained that letters or correspondences are expected to be received with a stamp of acknowledgement and due verification conducted afterwards.
The party, thereafter, asked INEC to, henceforth, verify signatories of any future correspondence before acknowledgement to forestall impersonation.
He said: “As it is done in every corporate or governmental institution, letters or any correspondence are received with a stamp of acknowledgement. As it is a custom, if you write any letter to INEC, the commission is expected to receive it after due verification.
“Though acknowledgement of a correspondent does not imply recognition or acceptance of its content, we, however, insist that INEC must, henceforth, verify signatories of any future correspondences as it concerns the Labour Party before acknowledgement.”
He recalled that on February 22, two other political parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic party (PDP) had their parties’ primaries, and that on the following day, the LP also had its primary where it elected Olumide Akpata as its candidate.
Ifoh added that INEC knows there was no other primary election by the LP, as it did not supervise any other one, but the one conducted by the party led by Abure.
IN another development, the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP has ratified the victory of Asuerinme Ighodalo as the candidate of the party for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
In a statement issued, yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said the certificate of return would be issued to Ighodalo today.
According to him, the event will be held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at noon.
