INEC Bars Labour Party from Edo By-Elections, Clears Nine Parties for National Assembly Polls
By SpringnewsNG Media Limited August 6,2025
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially disqualified the Labour Party (LP) from participating in the forthcoming National Assembly by-elections in Edo State, scheduled for next week.
According to INEC, nine political parties successfully submitted candidates for the elections to fill vacant seats in Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency. The vacancies followed the swearing-in of Senator Monday Okpebholo and Hon. Dennis Idahosa as governor and deputy governor of Edo State, respectively.
Labour Party Fails to Meet INEC Requirements
Addressing journalists in Benin City, the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Anugbum Onuoha, revealed that the Labour Party failed to comply with the commission’s electoral guidelines.
“From our records, the Labour Party and some other parties neither invited us to observe their primaries nor complied with the necessary procedures. In some cases, we arrived at venues, but the locations were shut, and no activity took place,” Onuoha explained.
This clarification comes despite the Labour Party’s earlier claim that Paul Okojie had emerged as its candidate for the Edo Central senatorial seat.
Political Parties Cleared for Edo By-Elections
INEC confirmed that only the following nine parties will participate in the by-elections:
- Action Alliance (AA)
- African Democratic Congress (ADC)
- All Progressives Congress (APC)
- Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
- Action Peoples Party (APP)
- Action Democratic Party (ADP)
- New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
- Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
Prof. Onuoha further assured Edo residents that the commission is fully prepared to conduct free, fair, and credible elections. He disclosed that non-sensitive materials have been deployed, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is fully configured for use.
Out of 719,504 registered voters across the seven affected local government areas, 101,617 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain uncollected.
INEC Responds to PDP’s Call for REC Redeployment
Reacting to the PDP’s demand for his redeployment, Prof. Onuoha dismissed the allegations and reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to neutrality.
“Even if your relative is appointed to INEC, he cannot compromise the system. The structure of the commission makes that impossible,” he added.
The Edo National Assembly by-elections are expected to be a major test of political strength ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the PDP and APC as the leading contenders.
