THE National body of the Labour Party, on Tuesday, gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize another election within 60 days in Delta Central, Delta State, following the defection of its only senator, representing the district, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party, who also promised to challenge his defection in the court of law, therefore, requested the Senate to declare his seat vacant.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Ebere Ifendu, told newsmen during the press conference at the party secretariat in Abuja.
She alleged that Senator Omo-Agege has been causing disaffection among the party faithful ahead of his planned defection, lamenting that he had sponsored thugs to attack the party secretariat on many occasions.
According to him, it is now a known fact that the only senator, representing Labour Party, Ovie Omo-Agege, was responsible for the breach of peace experienced by the national headquarters of our great party ahead of his planned decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It is most unfortunate that the person that is expected to be distinguished will go this far. We wish to state clearly that as a party, we will challenge his decision to steal the mandate of our party through the back door in court.
“We also want to request the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki to declare his seat vacant and INEC should immediately organise another election within the next 60 days to fill the vacancy as required by law. We are sending the letter today (Tuesday) to the senate president.”
“He created crisis within the party by his defection. The only reason you can decamp is when there is crisis in the party, but unfortunately, Labour Party is one entity, no faction in Labour Party, he is just trying to do that and he doesn’t have control over Labour Party.”
“When Governor Mimiko wanted to go to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), we had a mutual agreement, it was at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that we took that decision and the party allowed him, but for this senator to create a fake faction in the party to achieve this, it is uncalled for,” she explained.
It will be recalled that Senator Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, attributed his defection into APC to due to the crisis in the party.