Earlier today I asked to know why Labour Party, Nigeria, did not submit their membership registers in Abia and Kano States. Since then, no Labour Party social media hallelujah boy/girl has responded to me. I suspect that many of them did not even know before the events of yesterday that their party deliberately failed to obey INEC guidelines with regard to the two states but copiously obeyed same in other states because they believed it was legally important to do so.
Let me share my thoughts on the ‘why’ and leave Lawyers to enjoy themselves. They are paid to argue endlessly and put things to each other.
As at the time membership registers were being submitted by political parties (30 days to parties’ primaries), Labour Party had near zero presence in Abia State. In fact, during the 2019 governorship election, the party scored five hundred and twenty (520) votes representing a meagre 0.12% of total votes cast. If we assume, without conceding, that all the members of the party in Abia State VOTED for their party, it means they had only 520 members. But we know her membership register, if at all in existence then, would have less number of members.
Let me repeat again: as at 2019, only 520 people voted for Labour Party in ABIA STATE. But for the Peter Obi factor, the trend would have remained the same in the 2023 general elections, even if not worse.
As at the time LP mandatorily compiled and submitted their register nationally, Mr Alex Otti was still in APC. Of course, knowing that the party had no prospect in Abia and Kano States then, it was possible that the national leaders of the party did not see that oversight of not submitting register in those two states as potentially damaging even though they knew it was a compulsory requirement vis-à-vis the Electoral Act.
If LP did not know it was a compulsory requirement, why then did they submit same in other states?
To those manufacturing excuses based on section 77 of the Electoral Act not defining clear cut punishment for non compliance, I will not volunteer my well considered opinion to you even though common sense should have told you that you cannot conduct primaries and field candidates where you do not have registered members. Who voted during your primary election if you don’t have members in a state?
Uwa Ntorr Situation!!!
If you still harbor the belief that Labour Party actually submitted membership register in Abia State, please, look at the attached documents and make whatever you will of it. The first document is from INEC while the second is from LP.
Lawyers are free to argue from whatever perspective, e no concern me because all I have is common sense, which is not common sha.
Kano ko, Kano ni, all na Labour Party business only. Onye obula gbara ogwu ya nuo!!!
-Nwandugbom is watching football, do not disturb, please!
John Okiyi Kalu is the Abia State Commissioner for Trade and Commerce
