Guber Polls: INEC snubs Apapa-led LP, releases names of candidates from Abure’s camp

Despite the internal crisis in Labour Party (LP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday published the names and particulars of candidates produced by the mainstream Barr. Julius Abure-led faction of the party while snubbing Lamidi Apapa-led National Working Committee.

The Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa factions of the party have been at loggerheads over who is the recognised National Chairman of the Party.

The power tussle snowballed into holding factional primaries to produce candidates who will participate in the November 11 Governorship elections slated to hold in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo, later this year.

Whilst the Apapa-faction produced Joseph Ikechukwu Ukaegbu in Imo, INEC upheld Athan Nneji Achonu of the Abure faction, according to Tribune report.

In Kogi, factional primaries held at the Big Brother Hotel and KAFAS Multipurpose Hall separately where Col. Dr. Vincent Enemona Abu and Barr. Okeme Adejoh emerged from the Apapa and Abure factions respectively.

INEC published the name of Barr. Adejoh who emerged from the Abure faction as LP’s guber candidate for Kogi.

Bayelsa wasn’t any different as Chief Diekivie Ikiogha and the former IYC President, Udengs Eradiri held on to separate claims of being the party flag-bearer in the State.

Eradiri, who emerged from the Abure faction got the election umpire’s nod as LP candidate in the State.

Meanwhile, Abure has said that he will appeal the ruling of FCT High Court’s refusal to decline jurisdiction over the allegation of forgery preferred against him by the Lamidi Apapa Faction locked in a leadership crisis in the Labour Party.

Abure, who said he does not believe he will get justice in the Justice Hamza Muazu court, said an appeal court would give the Labour Party and himself justice over the matter, brother, on the leadership crisis of the party.

The embattled LP National Chairman said this to a civil society group and supporter of the Labour Party, Country Director Vote Must International Initiative, Dr Barry Avotu Jonson, who led his members on a solidarity visit to the Labour Party Headquarters, recently.