LP Withdraws from Planned May 19 Council Poll in Abia

The Abia State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has withdrawn from the May 19 Abia Local Government election.

The Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) will oversee the election.

The commission, which is led by Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa, the former Commissioner for Education in the state, is in charge of the state’s local government elections.

In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Jerry Njoku, LP claimed that ABSIEC’s leadership planned to rig the election by using local government workers.

The LP claimed that there was a court order against the election at the Abia State High Court and accused the ABSIEC chairman of being desperate to please his employer and members of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.

It had been reported that a High Court of Abia State in Bende Judicial Division had restrained Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa kpa from parading himself as chairman of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC).

Mkpa and other commissioners were appointed last year by outgoing Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in view of local government elections.

But a motion exparte was filled against the commission by Hon. Kalu Mba Nwoke.

Nwoke’s lawyer, Anaga Kalu Anaga, had urged the court to invoke its jurisdiction by barring the electoral commission from access to funds pending the determination of his case.

LP in the statement said: “We are also aware of the attempt by Abia State Local Government Workers Union to illegally conduct the Local Government Workers Staff Union election before the handing over date of May 29, 2023 even before the expiration of their tenure, which is statutorily fixed for September 2023.

“More so, I have come across political advertisements for the local government elections on social media platforms by individuals who I will consider as ‘unfortunate’ to allow themselves to be misguided by paid sycophants and stooges of the outgoing PDP government of Abia State.

“For the benefit of doubt; there is an existing court injunction that has restrained ABSIEC from conducting any council election, pending the determination of the motion on notice with suit No. HAR/8/2023 of Abia High Court

“Therefore, Labour Party, Abia, after deliberations by members of her State Working Committee (SWC) on the 9th May 2023 has resolved not to participate in the forthcoming local government elections scheduled to take place on May 19, 2023.

“As a law-abiding party, we owe the people of Abia State a moral obligation to lead by example in discipline, principle, responsibility and accountability.”

Recall that an Abia State High Court had on April 5 2023 restrained the ABSIEC from conducting the local government elections.

The court granted the exparte motion in a case filed against ABSIEC.