The Oyo State chapter of the Labour Party has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of excluding its candidate from the ballot for the 16 August Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Wednesday, the party’s state chairman, Sadiq Atayese, said the omission had damaged public perception of the Labour Party’s participation in the poll and disrupted its campaign momentum.
“We have equally staged a peaceful protest at the INEC office to register our displeasure on the matter and also to demand the next thing they want us to do,” Atayese said. “We have been trying to find out the basis for the omission. We don’t know whether it is a sponsored action by those who felt threatened or a technical glitch.”
He added that the party had taken legal action, asking the court to compel INEC to include the candidate’s name, and was awaiting a date for the first hearing. According to him, the commission had yet to provide any explanation.
“As we speak, we are still asking INEC to explain the reason for the omission, but there has been no response yet,” he stated.
Atayese described the situation as “frustrating” and said it denied voters the chance to elect a candidate with “a proven track record and the ability to deliver the dividends of democracy.”
The Ibadan North Federal Constituency seat became vacant following the death of Hon. Olaide Akinremi of the All Progressives Congress in July 2024 at the age of 51. Akinremi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2019 and won re-election in 2023.
The Labour Party says it will pursue the matter until its candidate is allowed to participate, warning that the integrity of the by-election is at stake.
