The Labour Party (LP) has accused the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) of deliberately blocking its participation in the forthcoming local government elections in the State.
But the State Electoral Umpire denied the allegations.
Henry Ude, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the party,non wednesday, said LP officials were denied nomination forms during repeated visits to the Commission’s office, describing the action as a calculated attempt to disenfranchise the party.
“We came to collect our nomination forms because we intend to participate in the election, but we were refused access to the commission’s leadership and denied the forms. This is unacceptable and undemocratic”, Ude said.
Igiri Innocent, State Party Secretary, said the Labour Party had visited EBSIEC more than ten times without success, despite presenting all required documents.
“We have complied with the guidelines. Yet, we keep being turned back. This is a deliberate effort to shut Labour Party out of the election,” he alleged.
The party warned that it would pursue legal action to secure its participation in the polls.
Enyi Patrick, the Chairman of EBSIEC, however, denied any attempt to exclude the Labour Party, insisting the Commission is acting strictly in line with the Constitution and Electoral Act.
He said the delay was caused by discrepancies between the party officials who approached the Commission and the leadership list supplied by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Only the party chairman or secretary recognised by INEC can collect the declaratory forms. Issuing forms to unverified individuals could expose the commission to litigation”, Enyi said.
He added that EBSIEC remains open to issuing the forms once INEC clarifies the party’s leadership, noting that the process is time-bound and primaries must be concluded by February 3, 2026.
