LP National Caretaker Committee Supports Boycott of Anambra LG Election

Labour Party’s caretaker committee backs the decision to withdraw from the Anambra Local Government election, citing electoral violations

The newly inaugurated 29-member National Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party (LP), led by former minister Senator Nenadi Usman, has expressed support for the boycott of Saturday’s local government election in Anambra State. This decision follows allegations of violations of the Electoral Act by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC).

Earlier, Theo Egbe, the spokesperson for the LP in Anambra, announced plans to boycott the election set for September 28. He stated that the list of qualified LP candidates published by ANSIEC did not come from the party and that no primaries were conducted to nominate candidates, nor were any names submitted to the state electoral commission.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Usman-led committee endorsed the Anambra LP executives’ decision, led by Chairman Chief Ugochukwu Emeh, to withdraw from the election.

The statement read, “The National Leadership of Labour Party is aware and fully supports the stance of Labour Party Anambra State, led by Chief Ugochukwu Emeh and Okoli Akirika, that LP will not participate in the proposed Anambra State Local Government Election on September 28, 2024, due to violations of the Electoral Act and the Nigerian Constitution.”

The party also disclosed that it is currently challenging the election process in court through two lawsuits—Labour Party vs Anambra State House of Assembly and Labour Party vs ANSIEC & 14 others—asserting that no candidate was officially sponsored for the Anambra LG election.

The caretaker committee further clarified that there is no other recognized caretaker committee operating in the state, reaffirming Chief Ugochukwu Emeh and Okoli Akirika as the legitimate leaders of the party in Anambra.

Attempts to reach the LP National Chairman Julius Abure for comments were unsuccessful. Additionally, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, declined to comment on the situation, stating, “Our position on the illegal caretaker committee remains unchanged; we do not recognize or acknowledge them.”