“It Is Not Compulsory For INEC To Monitor Political Parties’ Convention” – LP Replies INEC

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The National Leadership of the Labour Party,  LP, has insisted that its  Nnewi Convention on March 27, 2024, remains legitimate and legal.

This is even as it noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has not rejected the outcome of the said Convention.

According to the Party, it is not compulsory that the Electoral body must monitor the convention of the party as widely being perceived.

In a statement issued on Saturday, July 20, by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the LP maintained that what is paramount is that it met the requirement of informing the Electoral Umpire about the conduct of the said Convention within the legally stipulated time frame of 21 days.

The LP’s reaction is coming on the heels of the recent position of INEC that it never monitored the Nnewi  Convention where the Julius Abure-led LP NWC was  re-elected into office.

In a letter dated July 18 2024, and signed by its Acting National Secretary Haliru Aminu, INEC, in response to a request by the LP to be availed of  a Certified True Copy CTC of both its report on the said Convention and the party’s Constitution pointedly  noted that it never monitored the exercise.

“The Commission has received your request for a Certified True Copy CTC of the monitored report of the Labour Party Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, held on the 27th day of March 2024, and the Labour Party’s Constitution .

“The Certified True Copy of the Labour Party Constitution has been forwarded to  your firm earlier.

“Regrettably, the Commission did not monitor the Labour Party Convention of 27th March 2024 and cannot, therefore, report on the Convention”, the INEC’sletter  stated.

But in its statement, the LP distanced itself from the said letter of request for the CTC of the monitored report of the Convention and the Constitution, insisting that it is the handiwork of those it described as meddlesome interlopers.

The LP statement captioned: INEC Did Not Reject Labour Party’s Convention reads:

“Our attention has been drawn to a reply  by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to some meddlesome Interlopers, who are not members of the Labour Party, seeking for the Certify True Copy of our national convention, wherein INEC stated that it did not monitor our March 27, 2024 convention hence it cannot grant their request.

“There is certainly no contradiction about the statement from INEC or the position of INEC to chose either or not to attend conventions of any political party. However, political parties are mandated to officially inform the INEC at least, three weeks of its intention to conduct the national convention.

“The Labour Party in compliance to the “Electoral Act of 2022” did notify INEC of its intention to conduct its national convention on the 27th of March 2024, first on December 4th, 2023 (more than 3 months). This was followed by two other notices of change of venue which the party adequately notified the Commission and were acknowledged

“Also the Article 82 (2) of the electoral Act states “The Commission may, with or without prior notice to the political party attend and observe any convention, congress, conference or meeting which is convened by a political party for the purpose of (a) electing members of its executive committees or other governing bodies.”

“Therefore, it was not  mandatory that INEC must be present during the internal party exercise. So, INEC’s inability to monitor the convention did not in anyway invalidate the internal party activity. INEC has also continued to respect the laws of the land despite pressure from certain quarters to compromise its civic responsibility.

“At no time did INEC said it has rejected the outcome of the convention of the Labour Party. We have since moved on from the very successful convention, and activities in the party have frenzied with huge membership drive and other political events.

“We, therefore, assure our members and party supporters to ignore the twist in some sections of the media, funded by some discredited former members of the party. Labour Party is safe and is in good hands”