Politics

LP reacts to court judgement sacking party’s candidates

The Labour Party (LP) has faulted the court judgement annulling the elections of the party’s candidates into various political offices across the country.

The Labour Party, while describing the judgement as inconsequential and laughable said the Federal High Court sitting in Kano lacks the jurisdiction to entertain an election matter after winners had emerged.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Kano had nullified the candidature of the LP candidates in Abia and Kano states.

Justice Yunusa, while ruling on the Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by one Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday, May 19, ruled that their (candidates) emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

The judge ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries rendered the process invalid.

Reacting to the development, the LP, in a statement issued on Friday by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the party was more concerned with the haste with which Justice Yunusa declared judgement in the matter brought before it by the suspended members of the party loyal to the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, within 48 hours.

Ifoh stated that the Labour Party which was mentioned as a respondent was not aware of any suit against it in Kano State, saying the party was not served with any summons.

He said: “The judgement is not only inconsequential but also laughable and holds no water. The court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain an election matters at a time when elections have since been concluded and winners emerged. The Kano Court is also not a tribunal which has the constitutional powers to entertain pre-election matters.

“The two respondents in the matter are Labour Party and INEC. No individual is mentioned in the matter and no court can grant any relief that is not sought for. So we lose no sleep on the black market judgement as we will soon direct our lawyers to approach the Appeal Court to vacate the ill-conceived judgement.

“Labour Party has repeatedly raised the alarm of the plots by the opposition parties to ensure that Labour Party is engulfed in crisis. Few weeks ago, we alerted Nigerians of plots to hijack the party and by extension, target all our cases in the tribunal. We have since produced evidence of the letters initiated by Akingbade to various tribunals asking for withdrawal of cases before them.

“For the upteempth time, Samuel Akingbade, Lamidi Apapa, Abayomi Arabambi and everyone in that camp have ceased to be representing Labour Party in whatever capacity and statement serves as a disclaimer on them and for the information of Nigerians.”

The Star