The Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party (LP) has declared its full support for the Chief Ugochukwu Emeh and Okoli Akirika-led Anambra State Executive, endorsing their decision to abstain from the upcoming Anambra State Local Government elections.
The election, scheduled for September 28, 2024, has been criticized for alleged violations of the Electoral Act.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Interim National Chairperson of the LP Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, the party leadership aligned with the Anambra executive, citing concerns about the legality of the election process.
“The National Leadership of the Labour Party is fully aware of and in total support of the decision of the Anambra State leadership, headed by Chief Ugochukwu Emeh (Chairman) and Okoli Akirika Esq (Secretary), to boycott the upcoming election due to the violation of the Electoral Act and the Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
Usman emphasized that the Labour Party is currently engaged in legal battles regarding the election, including cases filed at the Anambra State High Court (Suit No. A/265/2024) and the Federal High Court (Suit No. FHC/CV/AWK/223/2024), challenging the procedure and legitimacy of the local government election.
She clarified that the party had not sponsored any candidates for the contested election.
The statement further confirmed that the National Caretaker Committee has not established any new caretaker committees in any state, reiterating that the Anambra State Labour Party remains under the leadership of Chief Ugochukwu Emeh and Okoli Akirika.
The party’s position and actions, according to Usman, are for official and record purposes, reinforcing the Labour Party’s stance on the matter.