Labour Party Refutes Claims of Disqualifying Abia Local Government Chairmen and Councillors for Upcoming Election

The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed reports claiming the disqualification of local government chairmen and councillors from contesting the upcoming polls in Abia State. The Abia elections disqualification rumors, which surfaced on social media, suggested that 17 local government chairmen, along with their deputies and 184 ward councillors, were barred from participating in the November 2 election due to their failure to resign 30 days before the party primaries.

Citing Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, the reports alleged that the decision was made during a stakeholders’ meeting at the home of Governor Alex Otti on September 29. However, the Labour Party leadership has come forward to refute these claims. Emmanuel Nwaeze Oti, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Abia State, denied any truth to the Abia elections disqualification rumors.

Speaking on Monday, Oti clarified that the news did not originate from the party and labeled it as baseless gossip. He urged the public and the local government chairmen to disregard the Abia elections disqualification reports. “No! I said no. What you heard is rumors. I can tell you that the news is a mere rumor,” Oti stated emphatically.

The false reports had initially sparked anxiety among the incumbent local government officials, many of whom had already invested in their campaign structures ahead of the November elections. The Labour Party’s clarification has now eased the tension surrounding the Abia elections disqualification, allowing the candidates to focus on their campaigns.