A team of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has paid a verification visit to the National Secretariat of the Labour Party (LP).

The INEC team, under the leadership of Mallam Mansur Hassan, is to verify claims made by the party about its physical and leadership structures, membership, as well as tenancy or ownership of the Secretariat building.

In his remarks before the commencement of the exercise, the leader of the team said, “We are INEC monitors, we are not observers. We are here to monitor and correct things, not observe.

“We want to verify the presence of members of the party executive in line with the Commission’s records, we want to verify. We also want to verify the composition of the National Working Committee, as it is contained in your Labour Party Constitution.

“We want to have a look at evidence of the tenancy of this place (secretariat). The tenancy agreement, receipt of ownership or possession. We will sight the document and have a copy of it.

“We will also like to have a soft copy of the party’s membership register. We will also like to verify the secretariat staff, are they present or is the party working with just one person. Again, we are going to divide ourselves into groups to verify what is happening within the party.”

Earlier, in her welcome address, the interim National Chairman of the party, Senator Nenadi Usman, while expressing gratitude to the INEC team for the visit said the party leadership was intact and ready for the exercise.

She also thanked party members and supporters for keeping faith with the party throughout its turbulent period which she noted was now in the past.

Usman said, “I know that most people found it difficult to come here today because our congresses are starting tomorrow and all politics is local.

“I have always said the party is not about me, it is not about anybody. We need to build a strong foundation for our party, whatever it takes to do that we will do it.

“Irrespective of anybody’s feelings or what they think about what we are doing. Without a strong political party we really cannot make any meaningful progress.

“For some, I know they will be feeling very bad that those who fought us now they are coming, we have extended the olive branch.

“We will extend the olive branch, we will continue to invite everybody, even those who were aggrieved to please come back, let’s work together because we want the party to be the biggest party in this country.

“For us to do that we need to bring everybody on board. We need all hands on deck to rebuild the party structure. All those who are aggrieved should please come back, let’s work together.

“We love you and we know you love the party, so let’s put aside all that has been bordering us about who leads and who does not lead.

“Leadership will come and go, nobody can lead forever. Today is my turn as leader and after some time I will go and then somebody else will come and lead. The leader will come and go, the party will remain. About the judgement we got in court yesterday, it is no victor, no vanquished.”

She later handed over a set of files containing some of the documents requested by the INEC delegation before taking them round offices and conference rooms within the secretariat building. (Vanguard)

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