Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A youth group within the Labour Party in Edo State on the aegis of ‘Shine Your Eyes Group’, (SYEG), has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and Professor Mahmood Yakubu for sticking to the rule of law in deepening the nation’s nascent democracy in Edo State ahead of the September governorship election.
The statement by SYEG came in reaction to an earlier statement by the Edo State chairman of LP, Kelly Ogbaloi who queried INEC’s listing Oluyinka Faith Alufohai as the deputy governorship candidate to Olumide Akpata.
The group in a statement signed by its chairman, Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary Osagie Omoregie also knocked the Edo State chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi over it rejection of INEC final list and reminded the party that what the electoral body has done was in accordance to the law and deserves commendation.
They also noted that what has become the lot and tragedy for the Labour Party in Edo State was a clear reflection of the shambled primary it conducted in the state where the wishes of party’s faithful was subverted by those entrusted to run the affairs of the party.
Ifada in a widely circulated statement in Benin noted, “Our attention has been drawn to the ranting by the Edo State chairman of the Labour Party, Kelly Ogbaloi, rejecting the nomination of Oluyinka Faith Alufohai in INEC announced final list of candidates as ludicrous.
“We want to state equivocally and remind Ogbaloi that INEC is not like the Labour Party and that what INEC has done was in line with the rule of law and deserves commendation for being vigilance and thorough.
“We had warned the Labour Party to play by the rules of the game but they choose to bow to the weight of naira and dollars to subvert democracy and the wishes of our people.
“As stakeholders, we are however confident that the abnormality by the party would be corrected by the court as we have it on good authority that one of the aspirants, Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon has gone to court to seek interpretation of the constitution as regards issues in the party’s primary”, Ifada said.