The National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Comrade Julius Abure, has threatened a nationwide protest over what he described as ongoing attempts to manipulate the outcome of ongoing governorship elections in Abia and Enugu states.
In a statement to newsmen on Sunday, Abure warned that the LP may called out Obidients nationwide to protest against the electoral fraud perpetrated against the party both at the presidential/National Assembly and governorship/State Assemblies elections.
He stated that while Nigerians are still hurting from the alleged rigging in the presidential and national assembly election, the Peoples Democratic Party is attempting to manipulate results in Enugu and Abia State.
Abure said: “We have come to day two of the ongoing governorship and state house assembly elections and what we have continued to witness across the country and reports from our party men on ground, are not in anyway different from the criminality orchestrated against our presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, during the February 25 presidential election.
“Today, we are again witnessing a situation where a sitting governor in Abia State is fully involved in an attempt to upturn the victory of the Labour Party candidate, Alex Otti, in the Abia State governorship election that has been clearly won by our candidate.
“The same scenario is currently playing out in Enugu State where Labour Party’s candidate Chijioke Edeoga is currently leading in virtually all the local governments so far announced.
“As we speak, INEC staff are held hostage at Obingwa Local Govt by Governor Ikpeazu and his cohorts to rewrite the results already compiled by INEC officials, despite order from the election body asking their staff to head to Umuahia to collate results of the election, which is in favour of Labour Party’s Alex Otti.
“This is one robbery too many. While Nigerians are yet to get over the ugly rape of a democratic process in last month presidential election by the ruling party at the centre, the PDP has been found engaged in the most shameless manner and disregard for the rights of the citizens.
“We, therefore, call on the Inspector General of Police to intervene and ensure the transfer of all electoral materials to Umuahia where the sanctity of the election and safety of the officials in charge can be guaranteed.
“Ikpeazu cannot rig election in his local government which he lost in the senatorial elections on the 25th.
“Similarly, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who lost woefully in the last election in Enugu North Senatorial zone is currently doctoring the results from the zone with the help of some compromised INEC staff and Police to ensure that PDP is returned elected in the state against the wishes of the electorate.
“We have endured what no other political party in the country has endured in the last few weeks because we believe in due process but it appears this is taken for granted. But we may not be patient for too long.
“Let me sound it for the first time that we will resist every attempt by the PDP in Abia and Enugu States to upturn our mandate.
“It should be recalled that the PDP in both states had issued threat to opposition parties, which was specifically targeted at Labour Party after sweeping the states during the presidential election, this threat is already manifesting that the ruling party was only interested in rigging elections.
“The party chairman said Labour Party had thoroughly reviewed all infractions and has reached a decision that never again will it allow the use of foul means to usurp power as was done in the recent past where it was merely asked “to to go to court.”
He further said: “We have particularly reviewed the rigging of Edo state house assembly elections election, including other affected states and we are putting evidences of infractions in place to name and shame all democratic criminals.
“We have therefore, resolves that in as much as we remain a law-abiding political party, conducting our affairs strictly within the ambit of our nation’s electoral laws, the party will henceforth resist rigging and we will move to the streets to reclaim our stolen mandates.
“We will henceforth directly and physically confront and resist the election riggers from always having a field day in seizing our democratic institutions and circumventing the rules during elections.
“ We have directed our supporters across the country to get ready for our signal to take over the streets.”
