Enyi said the commission has no intention of excluding the Labour Party or any other registered political party from participating in the elections, stressing that the delay in issuing nomination forms to the LP was due to discrepancies between the party officials who visited the commission and the official leadership list provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We respect the Labour Party as a duly registered political party. But the guidelines are clear: only the chairman or secretary whose names are certified by INEC can collect the forms,” he stated.
The EBSIEC chairman warned that issuing nomination forms to individuals not recognised by INEC could expose the commission to legal challenges.
“INEC is the only body that determines party leadership. Once the Labour Party resolves any discrepancy with INEC and comes back with clarification, we are ready to issue the forms,” Enyi added.
He further revealed that the Secretary of the Labour Party, whose name appears on the INEC list, had already collected the nomination forms and would address the press shortly.
Enyi also dismissed claims that the commission was imposing financial barriers on political parties at this stage of the election process.
“There is no monetary implication at this stage. Parties are expected to collect the forms, conduct their primaries, and invite us to observe,” he said, noting that the process is time-bound.
He warned that political parties that fail to complete their primaries before the February 3 deadline risk being excluded from the ballot.
However, tension heightened on Wednesday at the EBSIEC headquarters in Abakaliki following renewed allegations from the Labour Party that the commission was deliberately frustrating its participation in the upcoming local government elections.
The Chairman of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State, Chief Henry Ude, made the allegation while addressing journalists after leading party officials to the EBSIEC office to collect nomination forms.
Ude claimed that despite several visits, the commission refused to issue the required forms, and denied the party access to both the chairman and secretary of EBSIEC even though their official vehicles were reportedly seen within the commission’s premises.
“We are here to collect our party nomination forms because we intend to participate in this upcoming local government election. To our greatest surprise, they refused to see us or issue the forms,” he said.
He described the situation as a calculated attempt to disenfranchise the Labour Party and vowed to explore all legal options to ensure the party’s participation in the election.
“This is unacceptable. We will take all necessary legal actions to ensure that we participate in this election. Ebonyi people deserve a choice,” Ude added.
Ude also expressed concern over the alleged high cost of nomination forms, claiming that the process undermines the credibility of the election.
“There can be nothing like a free and fair election when forms are said to be as high as N30 million. That automatically shuts out ordinary citizens,” he said, adding that the Labour Party would make its own forms affordable or free to encourage wider participation.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Labour Party in the state, Comrade Innocent Igiri, accused EBSIEC of using bureaucratic tactics to edge the party out of the election. He claimed Wednesday’s visit marked the 10th time the party had approached the commission to obtain the forms.
“Everything they asked us to bring, we brought. Yet, they keep refusing to attend to us. There is an underground plan to disenfranchise Labour Party because they are afraid of us,” Igiri alleged.
He further claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was uncomfortable with the growing popularity of the Labour Party in the state.
“They know Labour Party is the only viable opposition in Ebonyi State. They know we will win in many local governments, including Uburu,” he added.
