The Labour Party (LP) has initiated legal proceedings against the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), accusing it of publishing a fraudulent list of candidates allegedly representing the party in the upcoming Anambra local government elections. The suit, numbered FHC/AWK/223/2024, was filed at the Federal High Court in Awka.
The lawsuit also lists several key bodies and officials as defendants, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS), and 14 others.
At a press conference in Awka, Chief Theo Egbe, the Labour Party's Publicity Secretary in Anambra State, decried the list of candidates attributed to the LP. According to him, the list, which contains names of individuals vying for leadership in eight local government areas—Idemili-North, Orumba-North, Nnewi-North, Aguata, Awka-North, Oyi, and Anambra East—was fraudulent. Egbe asserted that these so-called candidates are not true Labour Party members, alleging that many of them were actually affiliated with the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) or served on local government transition committees.
In a dramatic move, the Labour Party has officially withdrawn from the election. Chief Egbe made it clear that the party’s decision is backed by the national leadership, led by Nenadi Usman, which has endorsed the withdrawal. Egbe emphasized that there are no internal divisions within the LP, pointing out that the party remains united against what they describe as manipulations in the electoral process.
The controversy intensified as Egbe accused the state legislature of tampering with ANSIEC’s laws and election guidelines to benefit the ruling party, APGA, at the expense of opposition groups.
The Labour Party is not alone in voicing concerns over the integrity of the election process. Both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have also withdrawn from the polls. These parties have raised similar concerns, claiming that recent amendments to the ANSIEC Act directly conflict with national election laws as overseen by INEC.
Meanwhile, APGA itself is not immune to controversy. Chief Edozie Njoku, the national chairman of the party, has also expressed dissatisfaction with the candidate list released by ANSIEC. According to Njoku, the list does not have the endorsement of APGA’s National Working Committee (NWC) and, therefore, is illegal.
The legal and political disputes have cast a shadow over the Anambra local government elections, scheduled for later this month. Many political observers predict that the series of withdrawals and ongoing litigation could severely impact voter turnout and the overall credibility of the elections.
