NCP shuns Lagos bye-election

The National Conscience Party on Monday announced that it would not participate in the bye-election slated for September 30 in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the election is to fill the vacant seat arising from the death of the lawmaker representing the area, Kazeem Alimi, who died on July 18.

The Lagos State Chairman of the NCP, Fatai Ibu-Owo, told NAN that the NCP was not interested in the election and therefore had no candidate.

Ibu-Owo explained the party was currently pre-occupied with strategising for the 2019 elections and so had no time for the bye-election.

He said: “We are not interested in the election, so we didn’t have any primary and so we don’t have a candidate.

“The party has been busy with early preparations for the 2019 general elections so that we can do well.

“Besides, we are concentrating so much on challenging the exclusion of our party in the July 22 council election in the state at the tribunal.

“It will amount to a waste of time and resources to partake in the bye-election with all we have in our hands.

“That’s why we are abstaining.”

Asked the stage of the party’s suit at the tribunal, the chairman said the tribunal had ruled against the party’s prayer asking for the cancellation of the election on the grounds of exclusion.

Ibu-Owo explained that the judge’s reason was that directing a new election would be costly as much resource had been expended to conduct the July 22 polls.

He said: “We are, however, not satisfied with the verdict and that is why we are appealing it.

“As a matter of fact, we are filing our appeal this week and we hope to get justice.”

Ibu-Owo pleaded with supporters of the party in the state to remain calm as the party would take the matter to its logical end.

NAN reports that Accord Party had also said it would not participate in the bye-election.

The state Chairman of the party, Chief Gbenga Kool, told NAN that the party had no structure in Eti-Osa and would not waste time and resources to field a candidate in the election.

NAN.