The North-East Chapter of Arewa Labour Party Stakeholders Forum (ALPSF) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for evicting Barr. Julius Abure, the former acting National Chairman of Labour Party, from a quarterly meeting with political parties.
However, the group has strongly condemned INEC for not recognizing the caretaker leadership led by Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar of the Labour Party National Transition Committee (NTC) as acting Chairman of the party.
According to a statement jointly signed by their President, Mallam Danjuma BA Dikko, and Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Bakut Abba-Wilson, after their meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, the group praised INEC for de-recognizing Abure’s leadership, citing the expiration of his tenure and refusal to obey a court-ordered national convention.
“Abure and his cohorts jettisoned the NLC and INEC, and even millions of LP members, to embark on a ‘caricature’ convention,” the statement read.
It added that “This convention was non-elective, selective, and without foundation, as all participants were returned ‘unopposed’.”
The group on the other hand accused INEC of bias for not inviting the Omar-led caretaker leadership to the quarterly meeting. “This smacks of a deliberate attempt to deny LP a level playing field and tactically rig us out in ongoing elections,” the statement said. “The Transition Committee led by Omar was duly introduced and received by INEC, so it’s surprising that they were not invited to the meeting.”
The group alleged that INEC’s actions were sponsored by the opposition party APC’s desperation to win elections fraudulently in LP states. “We cannot fold our arms and allow this to happen,” the statement read. “We demand that INEC issue a public apology to Labour Party and announce the recognition of the Acting leadership of LP led by Abdulwaheed Omar and upload their names to INEC website immediately.”
The group gave INEC a five-day ultimatum to meet their demands, threatening to occupy INEC offices nationwide as part of the ongoing “Protest on Bad Governance” if the commission fails to comply. “We shall no longer allow the gentlemanly disposition of our leaders to continue to deny us level playing fields and hard-earned victories in elections,” the statement read. “If INEC allows leadership vacuum a day longer in LP, we shall mobilize our ‘peoples’ power’ to ensure vacancy at INEC Chairman’s office by insisting on his removal from office.”