Labour Party (LP) members at the National Assembly are being threatened at the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal on their emergence in national politics. The development follows tribunal verdicts across states that have sacked some lawmakers over lack of proper nomination and other pre-election matters.
In the last three months, several tribunals across the country have sacked other Labour Party lawmakers, including Ibe Okwara and Emeka Nnamani in Abia State; Amobi Ogah, Sunday Nnamchi, Chijioke Okereke, Seyi Sowunmi, Sunday Umeha, all Reps members.
In Etiosa Federal Constituency of Lagos State, court sacked Thaddeus Attah and called for supplementary elections in some polling units; also Ngozi Okolie was sacked and declared Ndudi Elumelu as the winner in Delta State.
However, all hope seems not lost as the Court of Appeal already ruled on the case of Ngozi Okolie and Ndudi Elumelu. The Court of Appeal faulted the ruling of the Tribunal, and affirmed Okolie as the rightful winner of the election.
Legal experts believe that the decision of the Court of Appeal on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal will also have an impact on the Labour Party lawmakers, specifically on pre-election matters.
It would be recalled that the ruling APC had during the presidential tribunal, claimed that the LP candidates, Peter Obi was not properly nominated as the presidential candidate by the party, but the tribunal ruled that it was a pre-election matter.
Similarly, the case of double nominations against the Vice President, Kashim Shettima was also ruled as a pre-election matter.
Similarly, the New Nigeria Peoples Party is facing difficulties at the state tribunal in Kano State with loss of three seats in the House of Representatives.
However, the NNPP got an acquittal from the Court of Appeal in Abuja, validating the election of Umar Zakari by overturning the decision of the lower court.
Just like the NNPP, the fate of the Labour Party lawmakers is in the hands of the Appeal Court.
The 2023 general election of the Labour Party was inspired by Peter Obi’s movement, who later emerged as the third biggest party in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
