The Labour Party (LP) has called on the Anambra government to abide by the provisions of the Electoral Act when conducting local government elections.
Ugochukwu Emeh, Anambra, chairman of the LP in Anambra, made the call during an interview with journalists in Awka on Saturday.
Mr Emeh said the Anambra government’s template for planned council polls on September 28 should not be at variance with the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of elections.
“The irregularities in the hurried Council Polls amendment Act by the State House of Assembly leave high stakes as to the considered national electoral laws.
“I advise that proper steps be taken in order not to delay council progress furthermore after over nine years without council polls in the state,” he said
Mr Emeh said the news conference on Friday by Theo Egbe, Labour Party (LP) publicity secretary, tallied with the party’s desire for a transparent process in the conduct of the polls.
He said the manner in which the state government was handling arrangements for the council polls made it vulnerable to irregularities.
Mr Emeh said that based on the observed irregularities, the party might take legal action to challenge the election.
When contacted, Mr Egbe expressed the party’s readiness to participate in the election once the right atmosphere was provided.
“We enjoin our teeming members at the grassroots to prepare and be ready for further instructions while we work assiduously to affirm our party’s final position within the coming days,” he said.
Okorie Akirika, the party’s state secretary, said some of the areas in contention were attempts to regulate the conduct and management of political parties, political party disputes and results collation.
“There are outstanding provisions that purported to regulate the conduct and management of political parties.
“There are also those dealing with disputes in political parties and collation of results.
“We will challenge these and other unbridled illegalities which are in direct conflicts with the new National Electoral Act,” Mr Akirika said.
(NAN)
