The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that it had no involvement in the Labour Party (LP) National Convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, March 27.
INEC sources state that since they were not part of the convention, they cannot officially recognize it
. Earlier reports indicated that Julius Abure, the embattled chairman of the party, was re-elected as chairman during the Nnewi convention, as reported by LIB.
Before the convention, LP National Legal Adviser Kehinde Edun informed reporters that the party executive had notified INEC about the change in venue and date. “No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi to be precise, not Umuahia in Abia State again,” Edun stated.
“In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi.
So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” he added. Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires political parties to give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of conventions, congresses, conferences, or meetings, including those for mergers, electing executive committees, governing bodies, or nominating candidates.