Labour Party senatorial candidate for the Edo Central District by-election, Chris Omofoma, has denied reports of internal division within the party, insisting there is only one officially recognised candidate for the poll.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Friday, Omofoma categorically dismissed claims that the Labour Party has produced multiple candidates for the race, naming himself as the sole valid flag bearer.
“Sergius Ogun is the ADC candidate. But on your programme, he alleged that the Labour Party has two candidates, which I am not aware of,” he said.
“The Labour Party has one candidate. We did conduct our Central by-election primaries on the 20th of July, which was last Sunday at the Labour Party Secretariat.
According to Omofoma, the party leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman had received Supreme Court backing, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently processing her recognition as national chairman.
“The Senator Nenadi Usman-Led National Committee of the Labour Party had gone to the Supreme Court and petitioned that she should be recognised as the authentic chairman of the Labour Party, which has been granted. And so INEC is in the process of ratifying her position as national chairman,” he explained. “So there is no division, and there is just that one national body that has conducted the primaries.”
Omofoma also responded to claims that one Paul Okojie is also running as the Labour Party candidate.
“After Sergius Ogun’s assertion, we also heard about Paul Okojie, who was second-handedly picked and appointed by Julius Abure and his ring. Julius Abure is no longer the chairman of the Labour Party. The Supreme Court has made that clear,” Omofoma said.
He added: “If anyone is made a candidate for any political party, there must be due process followed. There must be thorough primaries done. So somebody cannot go pick someone and say he’s a candidate just because they want to add that as a spoiler or create more confusion. So I don’t know who Paul Okojie is, in any way.”
On the legality and transparency of his nomination, Omofoma confirmed that although INEC was notified, it did not attend the Labour Party’s primaries.
“INEC was duly notified and contacted. INEC specifically refused to attend any of the primaries. INEC officials told us that the Labour Party was not included in the primaries that they should monitor on that day. They didn’t come. They refused to come,” he stated.
Asked whether INEC’s refusal posed a threat to his candidacy, Omofoma said, “That’s for INEC to answer. Why is it taking them so long to do the needful? It is a country where people flaunt judgments all the time, and I believe INEC will not be doing that.”
“INEC will do the right thing, you know, in due course, before the release of the candidates list, and give the codes to Senator Usman Nenadi so we can upload our candidates. Especially as they have stopped recognising Julius Abure as chairman of the party,” he added.
Responding to recent remarks by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who said the Labour Party is drastically diminished, Omofoma pushed back against the claim.
“The Labour Party is not drastically diminished. Every party has its issues. The Labour Party is in the process of evolving,” he said.
“It was a very small party. A lot of things have happened between 2022, when Peter Obi came on the party, and now. With such a small party, we were able to pull what we pulled in the 2023 general elections. We are looking forward to do that again in these by-elections and the coming 2027 general elections.”
He concluded, “Yes, people have a right to switch parties if they want to switch parties.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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