Image: Vanguard.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC said it is unaware that any political party is omitted on the ballot papers for Saturday’s general elections.
INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victor Aluko disclosed this in an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Vanguard reports.
Aluko was reacting to a claim by the Lagos state chapter of the Labour Party, LP that the political party was not listed on the ballot papers for Senatorial and House of Representatives elections in the state.
In a statement on Thursday, LP Chairman in Lagos State, Dayo Ekong described the
development as " a deliberate, malicious, and intentional act to disenfranchise our supporters from exercising their civic rights."
The Labour Party said it is unacceptable and called on the INEC to either correct the errors or reschedule the National Assembly election.
The statement reads: ”As Nigerians prepare to go to the polls to vote for a new president and members of the Senate and House of Representatives on Saturday, the LP is decrying the flagrant exclusion of its National Assembly candidates on the ballot papers.
“This malicious ‘error’ was found in Lagos this morning during the routine inspection of election materials by my executive members.
"It was at inspection that it was discovered that the LP was not listed for the election for the Senate and House of Representatives. This is unacceptable and a wicked way of disenfranchising Lagos state electorates.
“It is unimaginable that the Lagos electorate will only vote for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate for the elections slated for Saturday, Feb. 25, as INEC made no provision for the election of the Party’s Senate and House of Representatives Candidates.
"We cannot accept this as we do not believe that INEC made a mistake but rather a deliberate, malicious, and intentional act to disenfranchise our supporters from exercising their civic rights, which is unacceptable.
”Further checks on the INEC website revealed that the names of Lagos LP candidates were not uploaded even as the list and court orders for the same were duly submitted to INEC and acknowledged.
"We have severally pointed out the bias displayed by the State INEC REC towards our Party and his increasing attacks on our leaders,” the statement noted.
The Labour Party, however, called for the quick intervention of stakeholders, lovers of democracy, foreign observers, and the international community.
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