The Labour Party, LP, has reacted to its inclusion in the list of candidates for the Enugu North senatorial by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

INEC has rectified the previous omission of the party and its candidate from the list of participants in the upcoming Enugu North Senatorial District by-election, which is set for June 20, 2026.

The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluna Asogwa, said it was important to note that when the Commission first released the list of political parties and candidates authorized to take part in the by-elections nationwide, the Labour Party and its candidate were notably missing.

The omission happened despite the party having fully adhered to all constitutional and statutory obligations.

However, the party said that after discussions with the Commission’s leadership, the oversight has now been corrected, and the Labour Party along with its candidate have been duly included in the election.

“Consequently, the Party is entirely prepared to engage in the by-election and provide the residents of Enugu North with credible and people-focused representation for the remainder of the 10th Senate,” the statement said.

“By ensuring that the appropriate actions were taken, the Commission has shown its responsiveness and strengthened public trust in the electoral process.”

The party also expressed gratitude to its supporters, members, and well-wishers who expressed concern and inquired about the Party’s status in the upcoming election. Your vigilance, dedication, and steadfast belief in the Party are truly invaluable.

“As the campaigns move into their final stages, the Labour Party wishes success to its candidates in Enugu North, Nasarawa North, Rivers South-East, and all its candidates participating in the various by-elections across the nation,” it stated.

“We remain hopeful that the outcomes will not only be favourable to our Party but will also deepen Nigeria’s democratic culture and strengthen the people’s faith in the electoral process.”

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has airlifted 17,347 Nigerian pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

NAHCON, in an update on the airlift operation, also said that nine states had completed the return of their pilgrims.

The commission listed the states that have completed their return airlift as Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara, and Plateau.

It said that Lagos, Kebbi and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had gone above 65 per cent to 80 per cent.

“The return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims has entered its tenth day and is progressing steadily in line with return leg slots allocation secured by each of the official air carriers.

“As of the time of this report, a total of 17, 347 have been transported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.

“Some states have successfully concluded the return journey of their pilgrims, while others have reached various stages of completion,” the commission said.

The commission, however, said some states had yet to commence their return flights following NAHCON’s first-in, first-out policy enforced on each airline.

“For instance, pilgrims from the South-South states departed Nigeria on May 19, 2026, while Kano pilgrims commenced their outbound airlift from Nigeria on May 16, 2026 and Kaduna pilgrims on 14th May, 2026.

“States yet to begin the return journey are Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states, as well as the Armed Forces.

“As for Adamawa and Taraba states that began their airlift fairly early, their official carrier is still airlifting its allocated pilgrims proportionate to its secured airlift slots,” NAHCON said.

According to the commission, the return schedule is determined by the airlift slots secured by the designated airlines.

It advised the designated airlines to take measures to complete the airlift within the agreed 19-day window, which was planned to cover the period for pilgrims’ accommodation, feeding, transport, and medical services.

“As backed by contractual agreements, the commission will implement a contingency rescue plan if it becomes obvious that any airline cannot meet up with the schedule,” the commission said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO of NAHCON, Ismail Yusuf, assured all pilgrims, their families and the general public of the timely return of every Nigerian pilgrim.

Mr Yusuf said that all Nigerian pilgrims would be airlifted back home well before the Saudi deadline for departure, which falls on the 15th of Muharram, the Gregorian date of which is June 30.

“NAHCON appreciates the cooperation of pilgrims and their families, the airlines and all stakeholders, and will continue to provide regular updates on the return airlift operations,” he said.

(NAN)