LASIEC seeks INEC guidance after 3 factions emerge in Labour Party ahead of LG polls

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has reached out to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for guidance on how to proceed with monitoring the Labour Party’s primaries following the emergence of three rival factions within the party.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ forum in Ikeja on Thursday, LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), revealed that the commission had received separate invitations from three different Labour Party groups requesting observation of their primary elections. This development prompted LASIEC to write to INEC for clarity.

“Today they (the LP) invited us, unfortunately, it’s just a faction of the Labour Party that invited us,” she said. “On our records, we have three factions with different sets of names, and because of that, we had to forward a letter to INEC for advice, and we are awaiting (a response on) that. Without that, we cannot participate in any primary. And this, we had intimated each faction.”

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile made it clear that until INEC provides a directive, LASIEC will not engage with any of the factions. “We have three sections of the Labour Party. We have now written to INEC to advise us on what faction we should interact with. Because of that, we did not attend the primaries of that sect of the LP, because we cannot entertain three sections of a party. That’s why we were not there today,” she added.

Despite the internal divisions, she confirmed the Labour Party’s commitment to take part in the elections. “The LP party will participate. They have shown their intention to participate. What I just stated was to explain one of the reasons we were not at their primaries,” she stressed.

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She further disclosed that a total of 19 political parties will be contesting in the upcoming July 12 local government elections. “We have 19 registered parties (participating in the LG elections),” she stated.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile also noted that LASIEC had already observed the All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship primaries the previous weekend and plans to attend the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries on Saturday.

“The PDP, we have their letter indicating that their primary is on Saturday, as well as the SDP. By God’s grace, we will attend, only as observers,” she said. “So, we were at ACME (APC secretariat) last Saturday, and all our EOs were at different wards where the councillorship primaries took place. At primaries, we just attend as observers, we don’t have any advice, we don’t have anything to tell them but to observe that a primary has taken place.”

The stakeholder engagement, themed “Enhancing a Credible and Inclusive Local Government Elections in Lagos,” drew participation from traditional rulers, market leaders, youth groups, and party representatives.

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