LP Expresses Disappointment Over Confusion By INEC In Court

By Georgina Humphrey 

The Labour Party has expressed disappointment over the confusion caused by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Court of Appeal in Lagos on Thursday.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh stated this at a news conference in Abuja.

He said the confusion led to the adjournment of the appeal in the case between its candidate for the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency seat, Amobi Ogah, who is the plaintiff, and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who is the respondent.

“Chairman sir, it has now dawned on us that the change of legal team without properly notifying interested parties was carefully orchestrated by the Commission in alliance with our opponents to stall proceedings at the Court of Appeal and frustrate our candidate’s appeal that was due for hearing on Thursday” he stated.

“INEC had engaged a Senior Counsel, J.O. Asoluka as its lawyer with a letter of authorization to represent the commission. But at the commencement of the hearing at the Appeal Court, another lawyer surfaced with another letter of authority to take over the case without prior notice to J.O Asoluka that a new counsel had been engaged” he stressed.

Ifoh however, called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to nip the development in the bud to avoid a messy situation.

The LP also wants the INEC Boss to investigate the inglorious role that the legal department of the commission is playing and sanction erring officials.

” When the matter thus came up, a squabble ensued between the two counsels as to who had the authority of INEC to represent it in the case”.

“Conspicuously present at the venue of the Appeal Court were some expelled members of Labour Party under the headship of Lamidi Apapa”.

Edited By Grace Namiji