The Labour Party (LP) has stated that the absence of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at its March 27 national convention does not invalidate the election of Julius Abure as National Chairman and the members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Kehinde Edun, the National Legal Adviser of LP, made this announcement at the party’s secretariat in Abuja. This follows INEC’s statement that it did not monitor the convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Edun emphasized that the legitimacy of the convention and the elections held are unaffected by INEC’s non-attendance. “The law did not make it mandatory for INEC to attend any party’s convention,” Edun said. “What the law requires is proper notice. The failure of INEC to attend does not render the convention invalid.”
This statement comes amid ongoing disputes between Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) regarding the legitimacy of his re-election. INEC’s confirmation of its absence from the convention has led the NLC to claim vindication in its opposition to Abure’s leadership. However, Edun criticized the NLC’s interpretation of INEC’s statement as misleading and unfounded.