A political pressure group, Arewa Labour Party Stakeholders Forum (ALPSF), North-East chapter, has threatened to occupy the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if it fails to recognise Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar-led National Transition Committee (NTC) as authentic leadership of Labour Party.

Labour Party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis for some time now, leading to the eviction of Julius Abure from last week’s INEC meeting with the leadership of the registered political party.

The commission did not, however, extend an invitation to Omar either, resulting in what ALPSF regarded as a leadership vacuum in the party.

In a statement made available to New Telegraph on Monday, the group gave INEC till August 7 to recognise Omar as Labour Party’s acting National Chairman or its members will occupy INEC offices nationwide, as part of the ongoing protest against bad governance.

The statement which was jointly signed by Mallam Danjuma BA Dikko and Dr. (Mrs.) Bakut Abba-Wilson, President and General Secretary respectively, warned that ALPSF would “no longer allow the gentlemanly disposition of our leaders HE Mr Peter Obi and Comrade Abdulwahed Omar among others, to continue to deny us level playing fields and hard-earned victories in elections.

“If INEC allows leadership vacuum a day longer in LP, we shall mobilise our peoples’ power to ensure vacancy at INEC Charman’s office by insisting on his removal from office.”

The group noted that the crisis in the Labour Party is rubbing off on the party as it could not submit its agents for the September 21 Edo governorship election.

“The Transition Committee had been duly introduced and received by INEC, so it smacks of a deliberate attempt to deny LP level playing field; and to tactically rig us out in an ongoing gubernatorial election in a state like Edo where LP victory is certain having already won 59 per cent of votes during the 2023 presidential election.

“This history is of course, in addition to having the best governorship candidate in Barr. Olumide Akpata, the former exemplary NBA President,” the group said.

It accused INEC of creating a non-existent leadership vacuum in the Labour Party, adding, “INEC is deliberately blocking LP from submitting polling agents, participating in meetings and complying with other activities in ongoing and upcoming governorship and local government elections nationwide. (New Telegraph)