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As political parties’ candidates await the uploading of the names of party flag bearers ahead of the 2027 general elections, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) and House of Representatives aspirant for the Oju/Obi Federal Constituency of Benue State, Honourable Jonah Ihie, has threatened to drag INEC and the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Working Committee (NWC) to court over alleged ticket racketeering.
This is as the Labour Party chairmen of Oju and Obi in Benue State have publicly denied the membership of former PDP minority leader in the State Assembly, Honourable Blessed Onah, who is currently parading himself as the LP candidate for the Oju/Obi Federal Constituency.
Honourable Ihie’s warning also came amid the possibility of INEC uploading the names of individuals who were not party members at the time of the primary elections, in line with INEC’s timetable and guidelines preparatory to the 2027 elections.
Hon. Jonah, who spoke in an exclusive interview with The Sun on Wednesday in Abuja, said the LP NWC had failed to heed his request and that he was left with no option but to seek legal redress to recover what he described as a stolen mandate.
Hon. Jonah, while lamenting the alleged incidents taking place in the Senator Nenadi Usman-led NWC, alleged that Honourable Blessed Onah violated the INEC and political parties’ constitutions.
“He wouldn’t have just become our party flag bearer within two weeks of defecting from the PDP. And I have it also on record that, at the time he picked the LP nomination form, he had participated and lost. He defected from the PDP after losing the primary election on the 18th of May and jumped to the LP on the 4th of June, bought an LP nomination form on the 13th and participated in the LP primaries on the 30th of June. This means he spent less than two weeks as a member of the Labour Party to become a candidate for the 2027 general elections. And before this incident, I was the only one who bought a nomination form from that constituency. It beats my imagination how, within just two weeks of the primary election, a defector came from the blues and was handed the ticket even without a primary election taking place.”
Hon. Jonah further remarked that there was no primary election held in Oju/Obi Local Government Areas that make up the constituency, as no sign of ballot papers or INEC officials was seen on the day of the primary election, stating that such a desperate act of sabotage must be challenged legally.
“Despite warnings from my lawyer, the NWC remains adamant.”
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According to a two-page petition letter from Nicholas Oduaran & Co. dated June 3, 2026, and received by one Mr Ameh Kingsley of the Labour Party, Honourable Blessed Noah was still a member of the PDP minority leader representing Oju 1 Constituency and a card-carrying member.
“He has not resigned his membership card formally, not to mention the fact that he is yet to register with our great party, neither was any interview conducted nor a declaration that he has formally resigned his membership from PDP and joined our party, as such Hon. Blessed Onah Emmanuel is not a bona fide member of Labour Party.”
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Benue State Labour Party, under the leadership of Amb. Agida Emmanuel, Idoko Peter, and that of the Oju Local Government Chapter, Eliza Echor Elijah Ejeh of Obi Local Government, jointly informed the general public through a press statement that he has been falsely parading himself as a party member and attempting to gather people under the pretence of organising a party congress.
“The Labour Party conducted its legitimate congress in December last year and currently has duly recognised executives, including 11 ward chairmen across the 12 wards in Oju and Obi and the local government executives in the two LGAs in Igede.
“The general public is hereby advised not to associate with, accept, or be deceived by this individual or his activities. Anyone who engages with him does so at their own risk.
“The law will take its course on anyone impersonating or operating illegally in the name of the Labour Party.
The Labour Party does not recognise this individual or any congress purportedly being organised by him.”
