Lagos LP Fumes As INEC Omits List Of NASS Candidates On Ballot Papers
The Lagos State chapter of the Labour Party (LP), has slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for omitting the Party on ballot papers for the Senatorial and House of Representatives elections slated for Saturday.
Dayo Ekong, the State LP chairman, who made the disclosure on Thursday, during a news conference in Ikeja, called on the Commission to reschedule the election until the Party’s candidates were included on the ballots.
Recall on Wednesday INEC delivered sensitive materials for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections in the State.
Dayo who described the error as malicious, stated it is unacceptable because it was a wicked way of disenfranchising the Lagos electorate.
According to her, the error was not a mistake but rather a deliberate and intentional act by the electoral umpire.
She said: “This malicious error was found out this morning in Lagos, by me and my team of executive members during the routine inspection of election materials.
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“It was at inspection that it was discovered that the Labour Party was not listed for the election for Senate in and House of Representatives in Lagos State. This is unacceptable and a wicked way of disenfranchising Lagos electorates.
“It is unimaginable that for the elections slated for Saturday Feb. 25, Lagos electorate will only vote for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate as INEC made no provision for the election of Party’s Senate and House of Representatives Candidates.
“We cannot accept this as we do not believe that INEC made a mistake but rather, a deliberate, malicious and intentional act by INEC at disenfranchising our supporters from exercising their civic rights which is unacceptable.”
She added that further checks on the INEC website revealed that the list of names of Lagos Labour Party National Assembly candidates was not uploaded “even as the list and court orders for the same were duly submitted to INEC and acknowledged.”
“You will all recall how we have severally pointed out the bias displayed by the current INEC REC in Lagos State towards our Party and his increasing attacks on our leaders that have constantly pointed out these biases in the past and current onslaught on our Party.
“Is this the result of the culmination of those attacks?
“We call on all Stakeholders, Foreign Observers, Lovers of Democracy and the International Community to quickly wade in and call INEC to order to do the needful,” Ekong said.
