By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for excluding candidates sponsored by the court-sacked National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, from the August 16 by-elections in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Awka on Thursday, the state chairman of the party, Mr Peter Okoye, said the decision demonstrated INEC’s respect for the rule of law.
Abure was removed from office on April 4 by the Supreme Court, which affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the authentic national chairman of the Labour Party.
Okoye warned that any individual or group still transacting party business with Abure does so at the risk of sanctions.
He urged voters to come out en masse on Saturday and support only candidates with impeccable and credible character.
He clarified that the Labour Party has no candidate in the forthcoming by-elections and has no alliance with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the polls.
“Our party is law-abiding and will always operate within the confines of the law,” Okoye stated.
He added thanked Labour Party under the leadership of Distinguish Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington.
Anambra State will hold byelections in the Anambra South Senatorial District and Onitsha North 1 Constituency to replace the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and Justice Azuka, who was kidnapped on Christmas Eve and later found dead in a bush.
