The Labour Party (LP) in Oyo state has raised an alarm over the omission of its candidate’s name from the final list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the august 16 Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election. Sadiq Atayese, the party’s state chairman, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on wednesday, stating that the omission has adversely affected voters’ perception of the party’s participation.
The exclusion is reportedly linked to a broader, national-level dispute between a faction of the LP and the electoral body. INEC is reported to have excluded all candidates from the faction led by Julius Abure, following a supreme court ruling and the expiration of his tenure as national chairman.
The LP has condemned the omission as unlawful and an abuse of power, vowing to challenge the decision in court. Atayese emphasized the importance of a fair and transparent electoral process, noting that the absence of the party’s candidate on the ballot raises serious concerns about voter confidence and the integrity of 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.
NAN recalls 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.
