Fresh Trouble for Plateau State House of Assembly as Fresh Elections looms over exclusion of Plateau LP Candidates

Fresh drama may unfold in coming days as the 13 Plateau State House Assembly Candidates of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections are pushing for fresh election in 13 State Constituencies over their Exclusion for the 2023 polls despite obtaining a Federal High Court Judgement which directed their inclusion. They have also distanced themselves from a position which reportedly emanated from Mrs Grace Zamfara, the State Chairperson of the Labour Party claiming ignorance of any such judgmen.

This was contained in a statement issued by Hon Henry Yunkwap, the Shendam State Constituency Candidate in the 2023 polls on behalf of the others and made available to journalists in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.

The candidates informed that they have commenced the enforcement of the Federal High Court Judgement against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct fresh elections in the 13 affected constituencies in compliance with the Judgement.

Part of the statement blamed the LP Chairperson for the predicament of the candidates, while also disassociating themselves from the statement of Mrs Grace Zamfara. “We therefore wish to clearly state that the State Chairperson of the Labour Party ( LP) whose actions brought this afflictions on the 13 affected Labour Party House of Assembly members should stay out of this issue as her actions will soon be visited by the National leadership of the Labour Party. It is now clear to us that her mission to destroy the Labour Party in Plateau State is still unfinished.”

The statement also adds that “In view of the above ,we hereby wish to inform the members of the public to ignore what the State Party chairperson said as it is now clear that she has commercialized the party in the state. We disassociate ourselves with her. Its clear that she is working for our enemies to destroy the house she pretends to belong. We are aware of the source and authors of the despicable statement she issued against her party and the plans to frustrate us from reclaiming our due rights.”

Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja had in February 2023 ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to accept the nomination of candidates of the Labour Party in 24 states either manually or through its electronic nomination portal.

Delivering judgment in the suits brought before him by the party, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that INEC violated sections 31, 33 and 36 of the Electoral Act 2022 by rejecting the Labour Party’s candidates.

The party had in November 2022 carried out substitution nominations for its candidates who withdrew from the 2023 general election in some states. The party through its National Chairman and National Secretary communicated the withdrawals to INEC. The party also gave notification of the October 27 date to conduct substitution nomination primary elections.

However, rather than upload the fresh candidates’ names, INEC claimed that its nomination portal was faulty and declined to accept the candidates list manually.

The party had in November 2022 carried out substitution nominations for its candidates who withdrew from the 2023 general election in some states.

The party through its National Chairman and National Secretary communicated the withdrawals to INEC. The party also gave notification of the October 27 date to conduct substitution nomination primary elections.

The 24 affected states are: Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa, Lagos, Bayelsa, Oyo, Benue, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom and Ekiti. Others are Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Gombe, Borno, Osun, Adamawa and Cross River, among others.

The court held that the evidence of the Labour Party exchanging letters with INEC was credible and proceeded to attach probative value to it and that the Labour Party should not be made to bear the effect of a non-functional electronic nomination portal.

Agreeing with the LP that nomination and submission of candidates list cannot be rejected by INEC until 90 days to the general election, the Justice stated that the time the Labour Party sought to submit a list of its candidates in the 24 states was more than 90 days to the 2023 general election, and thus was within time permissible by law. Justice Ekwo ordered INEC to open its website to allow the Labour Party to submit a list of its candidates or accept the list manually.

The full statement of the candidates is presented as received;
“PRESS RELEASE !!!

The attention of the 13 affected Labour Party (LP) Candidates for Plateau State House of Assembly in the last general elections have been drawn to a publication purportedly written by the chairperson of the Labour Party ( Grace Zamfara) in Plateau State, stating that she is not aware of any Court Order or Court case , denying the interest of the Party she claims to be leading.

The public is aware that there was exclusion of 13 Candidates of the Labour Party for the office of the Plateau State House on the ballots by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which led us to approach a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court of competent jurisdiction granted an Order that no election should be conducted in the 13 Plateau State House of Assembly constituencies without the names of the Labour Party Candidates and anything short of that renders the election, null and void.

We have started the enforcement of this Judgment against the INEC and Elections will soon be conducted in those 13 constituencies. It is in line with this that we wrote through our Lawyers to both the Governor and the Speaker of Plateau State to also obey the Court Judgment by not swearing in those affected by this Judgment who are among the 16 affected by the recent Judgment delivered by the Appeal Court.

We therefore wish to clearly state that the State Chairperson of the Labour Party ( LP) whose actions brought this afflictions on the 13 affected Labour Party House of Assembly members should stay out of this issue as her actions will soon be visited by the National leadership of the Labour Party. It is now clear to us that her mission to destroy the Labour Party in Plateau State is still unfinished . In view of the above , we hereby wish to inform the members of the public to ignore what the State Party chairperson said as it is now clear that she has commercialized the party in the state. We disassociate ourselves with her . Its clear that she is working for our enemies to destroy the house she pretends to belong. We are aware of the source and authors of the despicable statement she issued against her party and the plans to frustrate us from reclaiming our due rights.

The judgment that nullified the 13 seats is much available with the FCT High Court which she can go and get a copy for herself having shown that she is no longer defending the interest of the Party. Thank you and remain blessed.

E-Signed:

Hon. Henry Yunkwap,
( Shendam State Constituency)
For/ And On Behalf Of the 13 Affected 2023 Labour Party House of Assembly Candidates.”