LP Zones Presidential Ticket To South, As Court Dismisses Leadership Suit

THE Labour Party (LP) has zoned its presidential ticket in next year’s general elections to the South, automatically excluding aspirants from northern part of the country from contesting on its platform.
Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Nenadi Usman, who disclosed this in Abuja, on Tuesday, March 24, after a consultative meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), described the decision as a firm policy aimed at providing clarity for prospective aspirants ahead of the elections.
She stressed: “We have taken a definite position. We will not field any aspirant from northern Nigeria. The ticket has been zoned to the South, and any northerner who indicates interest will not be accepted.”
Usman, however, stated that despite the zoning, LP would uphold internal democracy by allowing aspirants to emerge through a transparent primary process, adding: “As for who will emerge, I cannot say now, because that would undermine democracy. The people will decide through the primaries.”
The announcement came just as a Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa dismissed a suit challenging NCC’s legitimacy for lack of locus standi, thereby affirming the committee’s leadership.
“Fortunately, the case was dismissed. The court found that the plaintiffs had no locus standi, and that brings the matter to a close,” she stated.
Usman indicated possible shift of the party’s forthcoming congresses, scheduled to begin on March 26, to accommodate an influx of new members, saying proceeding with the current timetable could disenfranchise many intending members.
She hinted LP leadership would review the schedule: “If we go ahead with the date as planned, we risk excluding many people who want to join. We may need to adjust the timetable to ensure inclusiveness.”
She confirmed that LP has petitioned the Police over a recent security breach of its property and expressed confidence that those responsible would be held accountable, adding that appropriate action by security agencies would serve as a deterrent against future incidents of political violence.