Chairman, Labour Party (LP), Oyo State, Sadiq Atayese, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hasn’t listed the party’s candidate name for the Aug.16 Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election.
Atayese, who stated this while speaking with NAN in Ibadan on Wednesday, noted that the omission of the candidate’s name had affected voters’ perception of the party’s participation in the by-election.
This, he said, had seriously affected the party’s campaigns and other preparations for the forthcoming by-election.
According to him, the party has gone to court to compel INEC to list the party’s candidate’s name, and they are currently awaiting the date for the first hearing of the case.
“We have equally staged a peaceful protest at the INEC office to register our displeasure on the matter and also to demand the next thing they want us to do.
“We have been trying to find out the basis for the omission. We don’t know whether it is a sponsored action by those who felt threatened or a technical glitch.
“As we speak, we are still asking INEC to explain the reason for the omission, but there has been no response yet,” he said.
Atayese described the situation as frustrating, depriving the constituents of a candidate with a good track record and the capacity to deliver dividends of democracy.
Recall that the seat of the Ibadan North Federal Constituency became vacant following the demise of Hon. Olaide Akinremi in July 2024.
Akinremi, who died at the age of 51, represented the constituency at the green chamber on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was first elected in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023.