LG Polls: Confusion as LASIEC seeks INEC’s guidance over 3 LP factions
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has sought the guidance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the emergence of three factions within the Labour Party ahead of the July 12 local government elections in the state.
At a stakeholders forum held in Ikeja on Thursday, the LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), disclosed that the commission had received invitations from three separate LP groups to monitor their primaries, prompting the agency to seek clarification from INEC.
She said “Today they (the LP) invited us, unfortunately, it’s just a faction of the Labour Party that invited us. On our records, we have three factions with different sets of names, and because of that, we had to forward a letter to INEC for advice, and we are awaiting (a response on) that. Without that, we cannot participate in any primary. And this, we had intimated each faction.”
Justice Okikiolu-Ighile explained that the commission could not observe the LP primary because of the unresolved internal crisis.
“We have three sections of the Labour Party. We have now written to INEC to advise us on what faction we should interact with. Because of that, we did not attend the primaries of that sect of the LP, because we cannot entertain three sections of a party. That’s why we were not there today,” she added.
Despite the internal divisions, she confirmed that the Labour Party had indicated its intention to participate in the elections.
“The LP party will participate. They have shown their intention to participate. What I just stated was to explain one of the reasons we were not at their primaries,” she stressed.
She disclosed that 19 registered political parties would be participating in the upcoming elections.
LASIEC also confirmed that it would observe the Peoples Democratic Party and Social Democratic Party primaries scheduled for Saturday.
“The PDP, we have their letter indicating that their primary is on Saturday, as well as the SDP. By God’s grace, we will attend, only as observers”, She said.
