By Moses Okorie
Hon. Kingsley Okeke, Labour Party chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the February 21 FCT Council Elections announced that the Federal High Court has issued an order in respect of the ongoing dispute concerning the uploading of Labour Party candidates for the elections.
Okeke made this revelation on in a statement titled ‘INEC and the Rule of Law: Our Commitment to Peace, Justice, and Democracy, which he posted on Labour Party platform on Thursday calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the needful in the interest of justice and fair play in the conduct of the election.
The statement reads: “We wish to respectfully inform the general public that the Federal High Court has issued an order in respect of the ongoing dispute concerning the uploading of Labour Party candidates for the FCT Area Council elections.
“Pursuant to this order, a court-appointed bailiff attempted to serve the relevant processes on officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Unfortunately, the bailiff was instructed by staff at the Commission not to receive the court documents. This development has since been formally reported to the court through appropriate legal channels.
“We wish to make it absolutely clear that we remain unwavering in our respect for the judiciary and the rule of law. Our decision to approach the court was borne out of our belief that in a constitutional democracy, disputes—especially electoral ones—must be resolved through lawful and peaceful means.
“It is our considered view that court orders are not optional, and no individual or institution is above the law. Compliance with judicial decisions is the foundation of democracy and public trust in our electoral process.
“We urge INEC, as a key institution in Nigeria’s democratic architecture, to continue to act in a manner that strengthens confidence in elections and respects the authority of the courts.
“We also call on our supporters and members of the public to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding as the legal process runs its course. There is no cause for panic or disorder. Justice will prevail through lawful means.
“Our commitment remains steadfast: to democracy, to peace, and to the will of the people”.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had decline to recognize all candidates of the Labour Party in every election due to leadership crisis bedeviling the party at the national levels where the party parades three factions chairmen; Julius Abure, Lamidi Apapa and Nenadi Usman.
