The Labour Party (LP) group in the House of Representatives says the party was unfairly thrown out of the recent election for governor of Edo State. The group was unhappy with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and said that the process was tainted with mistakes that helped the ruling party.
At an event for the media in Abuja, Rep. Francis Odeh, leader of the Labour Party caucus, said that the results that INEC released did not show what the people wanted. Odeh said that Labour Party candidates and agents in different polling units had heard of many cases of voter suppression, violence, and threats of violence, which made people less likely to openly cast their ballots.
Odeh said that the fact that INEC didn’t send the election results online as promised was a big part of how the results were rigged. He made it clear that the party had gathered proof of claims of vote-rigging and would be going to court to question the results. He said that in some voting places where the Labour Party was strong, votes were swayed in favour of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group also said that security services should not have been involved in the election because they were allegedly ignoring violent incidents and efforts to stop people from voting. Odeh said that some Labour Party members were pushed and harassed and couldn’t get to polling places, and that others were forced to vote for the ruling party. He wanted all the actions of the security forces during the election to be looked into and said that justice should be done.
Because of the claimed problems, the Labour Party caucus has promised to use all legal options to get back what they see as the party’s stolen mandate. In a statement, Odeh said that the Labour Party would not stand by while the will of the people is ignored and that the party was committed to upholding democracy. He also asked INEC to stay independent and make sure that future elections are open and honest so that people can trust the voting process again.
After the election for governor of Edo on September 21, 2024, Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress was named the winner. But the Labour Party won’t accept the results because they say the election wasn’t free or fair. The caucus said they were confident in the courts’ ability to hear their complaints and do what was right.
Nigerians are paying close attention to the issue as the Labour Party gets ready to go to court. Numerous political experts have pointed out that the problems with the Edo election show bigger problems with Nigeria’s voting system, such as lack of openness, voter bullying, and security problems.
The Labour Party group has told its members to stay calm and determined as they use the law to seek justice. Odeh told his party members that the fight for an honest and fair election in Edo is far from over and that the Labour Party will continue to make sure that the people’s voice is heard.