LP threatens litigation over alleged disenfranchisement of members, others

As Nigerians await official announcement of results of weekend’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, Labour Party (LP), yesterday, indicated it will head to court over alleged faulty collation and disenfranchisement of members.

In a statement, the National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, noted that while the party made inroads with high votes in most parts of Northern Nigeria, its members “were deliberately prevented from voting, chased away violently from polling units, or had ballot papers and boxes destroyed and burnt in others.”

He cited Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Kano, Yobe and Edo states among places where such acts were rampantly perpetrated in violation of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).

Ibrahim claimed that in some places, INEC staff and electoral materials were not deployed to areas known to be strongholds of his party, or were deployed late to frustrate supporters who, psychologically got tired of waiting, and had to leave the polling units for fear of the unknown.

He alleged: “The delay by INEC to upload and announce results, especially where Labour Party, is already known to have taken lead, is also worrisome and we feel it is deliberate to anger our party and supporters.

“Intelligence from the fields revealed that across the northern states, electorate identified as Labour Party supporters were tactically denied access to their polling units by some INEC ad hoc staff who connived with others to confuse the electorate, by insisting their polling units are different and sending them to the wrong ones.

“This frustrated the electorate and reduced the votes polled by LP, which would have more than doubled if the right things were done.”

While appealing to the electoral umpire to call its polling staff to order and ensure punitive measures in line with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), the scribe assured that the party would definitely challenge the final outcome in court.

Ibrahim, however, called on stalwarts and supporters “to be calm, remain law-abiding, but be encouraged with their efforts so far, and mobilise even more for the next round of elections, as the party takes steps to right the wrong meted out to it in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.