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Tag: LP

  • LP’s Sen. Chukwu floors Nnamani at Appeal Court

    LP’s Sen. Chukwu floors Nnamani at Appeal Court

    …calls for unity to move Enugu East senatorial district forward

     

    As the Appeal Court, Lagos State division on Friday put to rest the Enugu East Senatorial District election matter, Senator Kelvin Chizoba Chukwu has enjoined all well meaning citizens of Enugu to join hands with him to move the state forward.

    Sen. Chukwu (Labour Party) defeated the former governor of Enugu State, Sen Chimaroke Nnamani who was the incumbent federal lawmaker representing Enugu East Senatorial District at the red chamber prior to the election and others to emerge the winner.

    Recall that his party graciously replaced him with his elder brother Barr. Oiybo Chukwu, who was gruesomely murdered during the build up to the presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Further recall that Professor Joachim Omeje had declared Chukwu Kelvin Chizoba, Senatorial candidate for Enugu East Senatorial zone under the platform of Labour Party winner of the election conducted on Saturday 18th March 2023.

    Chukwu polled a total of sixty-nine thousand, one hundred and thirty-six (69,136) votes to emerge winner while his closest rival, Chimaroke Nnamani of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) got a total of forty-eight thousand, seven hundred and one (48,701) votes.

    The soft spoken federal lawmaker maintains that; “There is no Victor no Vanished. The winning is for our people, so I want to enjoin all my co- contestants to join hands with me in order to move Enugu senatorial district forward.”

    According to the statement by his media assistant, Ubeh Phillip Bernard, the victory of Sen. Chukwu at the Appeal Court on Friday has put an end to all the needless distractions arising from electoral litigations, adding that the legal luminary will now focus his energy on lawmaking, oversights and effective representations to the good people of Nigeria and Enugu East senatorial district in particular.

    Recall that Oyibo Chukwu was killed ahead of the election and body set ablaze at Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu South LGA on February 23 after gunmen opened fire on his convoy. Five of his supporters in the car were also killed in the incident.

    However, Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the ugly incident, announced the suspension of the election for the senatorial district and rescheduled it to March 11, as a result of the gruesome murder.

    Meanwhile, LP quickly went for a fresh party primary conducted few days later and Kelvin Chukwu was declared as the winner by Innocent Okeke, LP’s south-east chairman. He went ahead to win at the main election as rescheduled by the electoral umpire.

  • Imo election: LP requests results Certified True Copies from INEC

    Imo election: LP requests results Certified True Copies from INEC

    The Labour Party (LP) has demanded for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the just concluded Imo off-circle governorship election result from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The LP members made the request at the INEC’s Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday during the party’s peaceful protest to demand for the CTC.

    They said that the documents were important for the party to approach the court over the outcome of the poll.

    Recall that INEC declared Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the election with 540,308, votes while Samuel Anyanwu of the People’s Democratic Party came a distant second with a total of 71,503 votes.

    Athan Achonu of the Labour Party who polled 64,081 votes to come third in the election is intending to contest the result in court.

    According to Kennedy Ahanotu, LP National Youth Leader, who led the labour party members to INEC, the immediate release of the CTC will afford the party time to go to court.

    “INEC as the lone standing man in democracy should not take a side in election matters because they are like referees.

    “Legal processes involving elections are time bound and we have 21 days to apply and out of that 21 days, INEC has taken 12 days so we have limited time now.

    “This is a peaceful demonstration and we are demanding for the CTC  because we intend to challenge the election in court to fulfill all righteousness because we still believe in the judiciary,” he said.

    The LP Gubernatorial candidate in Imo, Achonu reiterated his intention that he collected the CTC for legal action.

    “I am here to collect the CTC, we have applied and they are yet to get back to us.

    “We have applied in the state and there are some we need to collect here at the headquarters; I won’t leave here till I get it today,” he said.

    Responding, INEC, represented by Malam Mohammed Haruna National Commissioner INEC, in company of Prof. Abdulahi Zuru another National Commissioner, assured LP of its cooperation.

    “The Chairman said we should come on behalf of the commission to receive your petition.

    “CTC is your right, it is the right of every petitioner and I assure you, you will get it.

    “It will be attended to because this is your right,” he said.

    NAN

  • Imo NUJ absolves self from sponsored media attack on NLC President, Joe Ajaero

    Imo NUJ absolves self from sponsored media attack on NLC President, Joe Ajaero

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Imo State Council has observed with great dismay and severe pain the clearly orchestrated as well as ill conceived media attack hauled at the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero by a group called, Imo Patriots’ League.

    The Imo Patriots’ League, with its convener, Onwuasonya FCC Jones, had addressed the press whereupon it opened and tailored unguided attacks on Ajero. FCC Jones and his league of anti-Ajero and their co-travellers in their despicable antics, without any recourse to the facts on ground took the NLC President to the cleaners, insulting, abusing, deriding and calling an already traumatized man all manner of unprintable names.

    The full and glaring flaws of that condemnable media fire stroke against Ajero notwithstanding, what actually embarrassed and even shocked us, the executive and members of Imo State NUJ, was the crude importation and surreptitious insertion of our hallowed professional organization into that ill-advised, miscalculated, half-baked and absolutely irrelevant press release by Ifeanyi Nwanguma who signed off as Imo NUJ chairman. All this smacks of semi-literacy or illiteracy of the satanic schemers.

    By supporting the action of the Imo State Government against its prey and victim – Joe Ajero – who has suffered untold pain and humiliation as a result of alleged State-sponsored abduction and brutalization, Ifeanyi Nwanguma has practically confirmed that he works and functions for the current state actors and of course, deficient of a good conscience. This is purely antithetical to the ordinances as well as the professionalism and intellectual soundness journalism and journalists stand for.

    For the records, the press being the Fourth Estate of the Realm presupposes that journalists are not meant to function either for or against the government or any other body for that matter. Rather, the press, with the journalists at the driver’s seat are composed to serve all for the purposes of informing, educating and entertaining the public without fear, prejudice or emotional imbalance.

    The malicious attack on Ajero by the police and thugs allegedly sponsored by state actors is really regrettable. If Ajero had, in the eyes of his ruthless attackers, contravened any established law, the best approach would have been to either take him to court or extend a police invitation to him. Ajero’s attack was an affront and infringement on his fundamental rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Therefore, we totally disassociate ourselves and our noble Imo NUJ Council from the infantile press conference by Imo Patriots’ League Group by which our association was dragged through the mud. Enough of this impunity.

    Sign:

    Comrade Precious Nwadike
    Chairman

    Mr Ori Martin
    Secretary

  • Court rejects Apapa factional motion seeking to replace Imo LP candidate

    Court rejects Apapa factional motion seeking to replace Imo LP candidate

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, has declined to grant a motion ex-parte brought by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) to stop Athan Achonu as governorship candidate of Saturday’s election in Imo.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, refused to grant the prayer of the plaintiffs for an order of interim injunction recognising their candidate, Chief Joseph Ukaegbu, as validly elected standard bearer of the party.

    The development followed an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the plaintiffs, Mohammed Mohammed, SAN, to the effect.

    Rather, the judge directed Mohammed to put the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is the sole defendant, on notice.

    “I am going to allow you to adopt it (the motion) but I will not grant it.

    “I am not granting you the application today as you have to bring them to court.

    “Let it be that they have been served and they are not in court,” the judge said.

    According to Justice Ekwo, I have studied the prayers on the motion ex-parte and also studied the averments in support.

    “I am of the opinion that I need to hear from the defendant (INEC) before making further Order on the motion,” he said, adjourning the matter until Friday for INEC to show cause.

    The plaintiffs include LP; Alhaji Apapa (Acting National Chairman); Alhaji Lawal Saleh (Acting National Secretary) and Comrade Abayomi Arabambi (National Publicity Secretary).

    Others are Comrade Anslem Eragbe (National Youth Leader); Barr. Akingbade Oyelekan (National Legal Adviser) and Chief Joseph Ikechukwu Ukaegbu (Gubernatorial candidate, Imo State) as 1st to 7th plaintiffs respectively.

    The plaintiffs, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1357/2023, sued INEC as sole defendant.

    They had sought an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from “recognising any other person or persons laying claim to the LP gubernatorial ticket in Imo governorship election slated for 11th November, 2023 other than the plaintiff (Ukaegbu) who emerged from the primary conducted by the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led National Working Committee (NWC) of LP on April 16.

    They also sought an order of mandatory injunction directing or compelling INEC to recognise, upload and publish Ukaegbu’s name as LP governorship candidate in Imo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously with this ex-parte application.

    They equally sought an order of mandatory injunction directing INEC to upload Apapa and Saleh’s names as the acting national chairman and acting national secretary, including other Apapa-led NWC members, pending the pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously with this ex-parte application.

  • Eti-Osa Fed Constituency: Banky W loses at Court of Appeal

    Eti-Osa Fed Constituency: Banky W loses at Court of Appeal

    The court of Appeal has declared the Labour Party candidate, Thaddeus Atta, as the duly elected House of Representatives member representing Eti Osa Federal Constituency in Lagos State.

    Recall  that the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, had in September declared the election inconclusive.

    The tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days in 33 polling units where elections were not held.

    However, on Tuesday the court of Appeal overturned the verdict of election tribunal and ruled that elections in Eti-Osa were conclusive.

    In the said election, famous Nigerian singer and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bankole Wellington, known as Banky W, finished second and Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) finished third in the elections according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

     

  • Supreme Court Judgment: We have moved on – LP

    Supreme Court Judgment: We have moved on – LP

    The Labour Party (LP) has announced that it has moved on after the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 election.

    This was made known by Julius Abure, the LP National Chairman, while accusing the Supreme Court of shredding the fabric of justice and good conscience in its verdicts.

    The Justice John Okoro-led five-man panel of justices threw out LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s appeal challenging Tinubu’s victory in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

    Recalled that Obi had called for the disqualification of Vice President Kashim Shettima due to double nomination.

    According to Obi,  Shettima was not qualified to serve as Tinubu’s running mate during the last presidential election.

    However, Justice Okoro of the Supreme Court said it cannot allow the matter of double nomination to be relitigated.

    The justice recalled that the apex court issued a judgement on the matter when it was before a lower court.

    “This matter ought not to have come here. When the matter was pending at the trial court, this court delivered judgement on it. This appeal lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the court ruled.

    Similarly, the apex court dismissed the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging Tinubu’s victory.

    Faulting the Supreme Court judgment, Abure described the verdict as disappointing while expressing hope for the future.

    A statement by Abure reads partly: “The leadership of Labour Party watched as the sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded today at the Supreme Court as it delivered its verdict in the case between our party, the presidential candidate and the APC presidential candidate.

    “We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the apex Court will toe the line of an earlier judgement in spite of all the flaws associated with the judgement delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.

    “Having conclusively exercised our fundamental rights as gifted to us by the laws of the land, we have no other choice but to move on. We may be disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise, but we have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic of what the future holds for the nation.

    “We weep for our institutions that cannot rise to the occasion and courageously defend democracy and the voices of our people.”

    The Supreme Court judgment has put paid to controversies surrounding the emergence of president Tinubu.

  • CSU: LP calls out Peter Obi over inconsistent credentials

    CSU: LP calls out Peter Obi over inconsistent credentials

    The National Publicity Secretary of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, has alleged inconsistencies in Peter Obi’s academic credentials.

    Arabambi made these claims during an interview on AIT, responding to Obi’s recent press conference regarding the controversy surrounding Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate.

    Arabambi who said he was part of the team that conducted Obi’s screening before the presidential primary of the party, pointed out a discrepancy in the names on Obi’s academic certificates.

    “I was part of the people who did screening for him. In the form EC9, we gave him, he wrote that he attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka and he wrote that he finished his youth service but unfortunately, in the final submission of the form he only submitted his school certificate.

    “So something is fishy and I want to say the name the school sent for mobilization was not what was written on his NYSC certificate and he knows that,” Arabambi said.

    Arabambi added that the authenticity of Obi’s identity within the Labour Party was under question.

    “This destination that he is going, I don’t know what he wants to achieve. We have before the Supreme Court his own petition and the pleadings are not there, you are now calling out someone to come and reveal his true identity.

    “For us, we don’t know the true identity of Peter Obi even in the Labour Party because everything was shrouded in secrecy at that time between him and Abure in Asaba,”the factional party leader said.

  • Kogi 2023: Kogi LP records setback as 21 LG chairmen defect to APC

    Kogi 2023: Kogi LP records setback as 21 LG chairmen defect to APC

    The Labour Party (LP) on Friday suffered a setback as all its 21 Local Government Chairmen defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The defected chairmen defected to the ruling APC with scores of their supporters.

    They were received by the state APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, at the Lugard House, Lokoja.

    The leader of the defectors, Mr Awe Kayode, said that they decided to collapse their structure into the APC in order to support the party’s Governorship Candidate, Usman Ododo, in the forthcoming Nov. 11 governorship poll.

    Kayode also said that their defection became imperative when they realised that the LP was no longer viable in state.

    “Another reason for our defection is our conviction that the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, has shown that he is a unifier whose nationalist qualities are needed to consolidate on the achievements of Gov. Yahaya Bello.

    “I was in APC before I left to join the Labour Party. I am back today with more people and we are ready to add value. LP got more than 76,000 votes in the last presidential election; we still have the same people that worked to achieve that feat.

    “The state belongs to all of us and we have decided to jettison ethnic or religious agenda to support the candidate of APC who promotes the Kogi Agenda.

    “Indeed Labour Party structure in the state was a formidable one that delivered massive votes to the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, without inducement or support, but we want to do same to APC and Ododo this time around,” he said.

    Kayode added that their decision to collapse the LP structure into the APC was to join forces with the progressives to actualise the ‘Kogi Agenda’ which sought to further unite the people and ensure even development across board.

    Similarly, the LP Chairman for Bassa LGA, who doubles as the Chairman of LP Chairmen Forum, Jimba Emmanuel, noted that a political party was just a platform to power.

    He added that good governance was about individuals passionate about development and attracting dividends of democracy to the people.

    He said that the governorship candidate of the LP lacked the required quality, hence their decision to abandon “the sinking ship”.

    According to him, “I and my colleagues here have agreed to mobilise all our structures across the 21 local government areas to deliver massive votes for the APC candidate come Nov. 11.

    The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones, commended the leader of the “Obidient Movement” in Kogi, Awe Kayode, for his doggedness and mobilisation ability.

    Jones said that the crowd seen was a testimony of the genuineness of their decision to join the progressives.

    He urged the defectors to join forces in canvassing and mobilising for the victory of the APC governorship candidate to ensure sustainability and consolidation of the gains made by the Yahaya Bello’s administration.

    Receiving the defectors, the Kogi APC Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, said “APC is a party that believes in development, equality and has good reward system.”

    Bello, assured the new members of enjoying all the privileges as other members of the APC, adding that he was glad that the defectors were passionate and reasonable enough to distinguish between right and wrong.

    “Your decision to join the APC shows that you appreciated the developmental efforts of Gov Yahaya Bello and his unwavering commitment to the unity, security and wellbeing of the people of Kogi State.

    “Aside from the character and leadership qualities of Usman Ododo, who is a critical member of the New Direction Administration, our governor has further equipped him with the needed knowledge and experience to lead the state and consolidate on his achievements,” he said.

    He urged members of the APC to disregard noise makers in opposition parties and go all out to ensure massive victory for the APC candidate.

    According to him, as far as the Nov. 11 governorship election is concerned, APC has no rival as victory is sure.

    NAN

  • ₦30bn for 10-km road: Gov. Diri, LP’s Eradiri trade tackles over alleged ‘lavish spending’

    ₦30bn for 10-km road: Gov. Diri, LP’s Eradiri trade tackles over alleged ‘lavish spending’

    The ₦30 billion spent on a 10.2-kilometre dual carriageway, recently inuagurated in Yenagoa, has pitched the Labour Party (LP) guber candidate, Udengs Eradiri against Gov. Douye Diri.

    The LP flagbearer in the Nov. 11 governorship poll, Mr Eradiri, had criticised Diri for using ₦30 billion only for the completion of the road that had been substantially finished by the previous administrations in Bayelsa.

    Eradiri’s query was how can the current administration in the state spend ad ₦30 billion to complete a road inherited at advanced state of completion?

    “This is outrageous and shows a lack of prudency with public funds by the Diri-led administration.

    But the Chief Press Secretary to Diri, Mr Daniel Alabrah, responded, saying that Eradiri lied because he was seeking to score cheap political points.

    Eradiri appealed to the state governor to address the facts around prudence, accountability and transparency he  raised in the road project.

    Eradiri’s questions in Yenagoa was in response to Diri’s statement criticising him for telling the public that the governor spent ₦30 billion to construct the 10.2-km phase two Glory Drive Road in Yenagoa, amounting to ₦3 billion per kilometre.

    Eradiri alleged that Diri dissipated his energy calling him a liar without justifying “the bogus figure”.

    Eradiri said: “The people of Bayelsa expected Gov. Diri to provide a contrary cost for the project, something lower than the N30 billion he allegedly spent.

    “Diri should come clean on the cost of all his projects,” he said, alleging that cost of these projects are usually shrouded in secrecy.

    “I challenge him to publish the costs of some of his projects, because it is the people’s money and the people deserve to know.

    “Transparency and accountability in governance are the foundation of trust in leadership.

    Diri, at the inauguration of the road project recently, put the cost of the 10.2- km road at N30 billion.

  • Lagos tribunal: We’re dismayed but our pursuit of justice continues – LP

    Lagos tribunal: We’re dismayed but our pursuit of justice continues – LP

    The Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State said it was dismayed by Monday’s judgement of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on the March 18 election.

    The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Mrs Olubunmi Odesanya, said this on Tuesday in a statement made available to newsmen.

    Odesanya, however, appealed to party loyalists to remain calm as the party continued to pursue justice.

    She said: “We listened to the judgement of the Lagos State election tribunal delivered yesterday, Sept. 25, with utmost dismay.

    “We urge our teeming supporters to remain calm while we pursue the next line of action.”

    She said as law abiding citizens, LP Candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) and the LP in Lagos State, had instructed the party’s legal team to review the judgement, with the view to appealing same at the appeal court.

    Odesanya said the party’s firm belief was that it won the election in spite of the harassment and intimidation meted to its supporters.

    “This delayed justice will be rightfully regained in the fullness of time.

    “Our party will explore all legal means at righting the wrongs done to majority of Lagos residents,” she said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tribunal on Monday affirmed the election of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat in the March 18 gubernatorial election.

    The three-man panel led by Justice Arum Ashom, in its unanimous decision, dismissed the two petitions filed by the PDP and its candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, and Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of LP.