The Labour Party has defended the validity of its March 27 national convention, despite the absence of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The party’s National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Edun, addressed the issue at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

This defense follows INEC’s recent announcement that its officials did not attend or monitor the convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State. The electoral body stated in a letter dated July 18 that it could not provide a report on the convention as it was not monitored.

Edun’s remarks come amid ongoing disputes between the Labour Party and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) regarding the legitimacy of the re-election of National Chairman Julius Abure and the National Working Committee (NWC). The conflict has intensified with the NLC distancing itself from the current NWC and the INEC response further fueling the debate.

Edun dismissed claims that the lack of INEC attendance undermines the convention’s legitimacy. He criticized the misinterpretation of INEC’s letter, asserting that the presence or absence of INEC officials does not invalidate the convention.

“The law does not mandate INEC to attend any party’s convention, nor does it render a convention invalid if INEC does not attend. The INEC’s response confirmed its non-attendance, but this does not affect the convention’s legitimacy,” Edun said.

He also criticized what he described as dishonest and manipulative tactics by the NLC and its associates, who have questioned the legitimacy of the convention based on INEC’s non-attendance. Edun emphasized that the party would not be intimidated or deterred by external pressures.

The NLC has used INEC’s response to argue that it has been vindicated in its stance against Abure’s re-election. However, Edun maintains that the Labour Party’s convention adhered to legal requirements and remains valid.

The situation continues to evolve, with ongoing scrutiny from both political and legal arenas.