Ondo Labour Party demands postponement of election over missing logo on ballot papers

The Labour Party in Ondo State has decried the omission of the party’s logo on the ballot papers for Saturday’s National Assembly elections in the state.

The LP Secretary in the state, Mr. Abiodun Agbaje, who addressed the media at a news conference on Friday in Akure, said names of the party’s candidates in the state were sent to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but was surprised that the party’s logo was omitted from the ballot papers.

He expressed concern at the omission of the party’s logo on the ballot papers to be used in the Ondo Central Senatorial District and five federal constituencies’ elections.

The federal constituencies are – Akoko South-West/Akoko South-East, Ondo East/Ondo West, Akure North/Akure South, Okitipupa/Irele and Ese-Odo/Ilaje.

Agbaje said: “Our representatives went to INEC to sort out the electoral materials to be sent to various wards and discovered that the LP logo is missing for the Senatorial and House of Representatives where we have candidates.

“INEC should give us an opportunity to participate or postpone the election. Our candidates should be given the opportunity to exercise their rights.

READ ALSO: INEC to print 187m ballot papers for 2023 presidential election

“We are here to express our displeasure. We expect INEC to do the needful. It was a deliberate act. I do not think if any agency of government supersedes the judiciary that gave us judgment.

“Our party primary was conducted across the federation. INEC acknowledged the letter from our party in October last year. You cannot vote without the logo of the party. The logo of the party appeared in Ondo North Senatorial District.

“Our candidates were not initially uploaded on the portal due to the fault of INEC and not the party. Names of all the candidates were forwarded to INEC.”

Also, the House of Representatives candidate for Akoko South-East/South-West Federal Constituency, Adeyeri Kunle, said the omission would disenfranchise their supporters.

“On February 2, 2023, Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to accept the nomination of candidates of the Labour Party in 24 states.

“The court further ordered that the commission must accept the list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates, particularly in Ondo State, either manually or through its electronic nomination portal,” he said.

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