By Israel Bulus in Abuja
A leading chairmanship aspirant in the Bwari Area Council race, Hon. Clement Dara Shekwonyadu, has announced his resignation from the Labour Party, LP, citing irregularities and suspected foul play surrounding the party’s primary election scheduled for today.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Dara expressed deep disappointment with what he described as a “last-minute change of venue” for the primaries, which he believes was deliberately orchestrated to exclude him and other credible aspirants from the process.
According to him, the abrupt change was neither communicated officially nor transparently handled by the party leadership, raising questions about the integrity of the entire exercise.
“I have been a loyal member of the Labour Party and had hoped to advance my ambition to serve the people of Bwari under its platform,” Dara stated. “However, the way and manner the primary election was manipulated, especially the suspicious change of venue without notice, is a clear indication that the process was compromised.”
The aspirant said his decision to withdraw his membership from the party was not taken lightly, noting that he had engaged in consultations with his supporters and political associates before arriving at the decision.
“I cannot be part of a process where fairness, transparency, and internal democracy are sacrificed on the altar of political machination,” he added.
Dara, a respected grassroots politician and youth advocate, was among the top contenders for the Labour Party’s ticket for the Bwari Area Council chairmanship. His exit from the party has sent ripples through the council’s political landscape, with many of his supporters expressing shock and anger over the development.
He did not immediately declare his next political move, but sources close to his campaign hinted at ongoing discussions with other political parties ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections.
Efforts to reach the Labour Party’s FCT leadership for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
The development adds to growing concerns over internal party democracy across several political platforms in the build-up to the 2026 Area Council elections in the FCT.
