By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed reports claiming it failed to upload the names of its presidential and National Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal before the July 14 deadline for the 2027 general election.
The party described the reports as false and misleading, insisting that all its duly nominated candidates, including its presidential and vice-presidential flag bearers, were successfully submitted within the timeframe stipulated by INEC.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, said the Labour Party uploaded the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates on July 10, four days before the nomination portal closed.
“This assertion is unequivocally false, misleading, and exists solely in the minds of those spreading this false information.”
Asogwa said the nomination process was completed without any hitch and in full compliance with INEC’s guidelines.
“To clarify, the Labour Party successfully uploaded the names of its Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates on July 10, 2026, a full four days before the INEC nomination window closed on July 14, 2026. The process was executed smoothly and in complete adherence to the Commission’s guidelines.”
The party also faulted the media report, expressing concern that it was published without proper verification and allegedly relied on claims attributed to an anonymous INEC official.
According to the LP, the controversy would be resolved once INEC releases the final list of validly nominated candidates for the 2027 general election.
“In any case, INEC has already released its schedule for the announcement of the final list of validly nominated candidates for the 2027 General Elections. Once the Commission publishes this list, Nigerians will clearly see the names of all duly nominated candidates from various political parties, including those of the Labour Party, thus dispelling this unfounded misinformation.”
The party urged its members, supporters and the general public to ignore the report, describing it as propaganda intended to undermine its growing political support ahead of the elections.
“We therefore urge our teeming members, supporters and the general public to disregard the fake report in its entirety. It bears all the hallmarks of idle beer parlour gossip masquerading as journalism. Those who have become unsettled by the renewed strength, growing acceptance and increasing momentum of the Labour Party should channel their energies into preparing for the electoral contest ahead rather than resorting to crude propaganda and discredited tactics.
“This latest attempt has collapsed under the weight of the facts, like a pack of cards.”
The Labour Party maintained that it had complied fully with INEC’s nomination requirements and expressed confidence that the commission’s publication of the final list of candidates would lay the matter to rest.