BREAKING: Court Sacks Labour Party Candidate in Key Battleground State

• Just a few days before the 2023 governorship elections, the Federal High Court Abuja sacked the Labour Party's deputy governorship candidate in Benue state, Idu Onyiloyi
• The court held that Onyiloyi ceased to be deputy governorship candidate having voluntarily withdrawn and deposed to an affidavit to that effect
• Justice Inyang Ekwo pronounced Ochechi Adejor as the new deputy governorship candidate of the party in Benue

FCT, Abuja - Ahead of the March 11 governorship and state assembly elections, the Federal High Court Abuja has sacked the deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Benue state, Idu Onyiloyi.

In his place, the court which was presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo restored Ochechi Adejor as the new deputy governorship candidate of the party.

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Delivering judgment in a suit instituted by Adejor, the judge held that Onyiloyi, having voluntarily withdrawn as deputy governorship candidate and deposed to an affidavit to that effect, ceased in law to hold the same status.

Onyiloyi wrote to Labour Party and withdrew his candidacy

Justice Ekwo found as facts that Onyiloyi personally wrote the Labour Party on the withdrawal of his candidacy and gave the withdrawal legal backing with a court affidavit as evidence of withdrawal.

Citing relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, the judge said the party is under obligation to remove Onyiloyi and replace him with Adejor following his voluntary withdrawal.

Justice Ekwo ordered the Labour Party to immediately forward the name of Adejor to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for publication as the lawful deputy governorship candidate.

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He also issued another order stopping Onyiloyi from further parading himself as the Labour Party deputy governorship candidate in Benue state.

Labour Party sacks Rivers state exco, gives reason

In a related development, the National Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP) has dissolved the State Executive Council of Rivers state with immediate effect.

This decision was taken at an emergency meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, March 7.

The dissolved exco was accused of gross anti-party activities and corruption in the management of party funds, according to the LP national chairman, Julius Abure, who signed the statement announcing the decision of the NWC,

Source: Legit.ng