…By Larry John for TDPel Media.
A Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice M N Yunusa, has declared the candidacies of Abia State’s Governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti, and all other Labour Party (LP) candidates in Abia and Kano states as invalid.
The court ruling was based on the finding that the selection process leading to their nominations did not adhere to the requirements stipulated in the 2022 electoral act.
Invalidation of Candidacies:
The court’s decision comes after Dr. Alex Otti, representing the Labour Party, emerged as the winner of the Abia State governorship election held in March 2023.
However, the court determined that the process leading to the selection of LP candidates, including Otti, did not comply with the provisions of the electoral act.
Breach of Electoral Act:
The lawsuit, with reference number FHC/KN/CS/107/2023, was filed by Mr. Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court ruled that the Labour Party’s failure to submit its membership register to INEC at least 30 days before the primaries rendered the selection process invalid.
Votes Declared Wasted:
Justice Yunusa emphasized that a political party that fails to comply with the provisions of the electoral act cannot have a valid candidate in an election and, therefore, cannot be declared the winner.
Consequently, the votes attributed to the Labour Party’s candidate are considered wasted votes.
LP Leadership Crisis:
In addition to the invalidated candidacies, the Labour Party is currently grappling with a leadership crisis.
The faction led by Lamidi Apapa has emerged, while the Julius Abure-led faction is struggling to maintain control of the party.