Some LP leaders had presented Moshood Salvador, who recently defected from the PDP, the governorship ticket.
Ifagbemi Awamaridi, the Lagos State chairman of the Labour Party (LP), says he remains the party’s authentic chairman and 2023 governorship candidate in the state.
Mr Awamaridi affirmed this on Saturday in Lagos at an interactive meeting with support groups and candidates of the party to unveil LP’s 10 cardinal programmes for the state.
According to him, the clarification became important following reports that he had been elevated to the national level of the party and that the ticket of the party has been given to Moshood Salvador, who defected to the party on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Salvador, at his formal declaration for the LP, was presented by some national leaders of the party in attendance, including the Deputy National Chairman, Bashiru Apapa, as the party’s Lagos governorship candidate.
Seyi Sowunmi was announced as the chairman of the party in Lagos State.
Meanwhile, INEC publication of Personal Particulars of Governorship Candidates in Lagos State, showed that Mr Awamaridi’s name was retained as the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
Mr Awamaridi, however, said that since the party was not a ‘motor park’ association, there must be a documentation and letter if at all he would be removed as the chairman, stressing that the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) had not met in the last two years to even take such purported decision.
He said the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, was not involved in any of the activities and meetings purportedly organised by some party leaders to disorganise the party.
“Nobody can take over the party’s positions from the backyard. The NEC meeting was about two years ago and nothing happens apart from the NEC decision,” Mr Awamaridi said.
“We are going into elections and we don’t want division in the Labour Party. The Labour Party is one in Lagos State.
“Also, INEC has released the personal particulars of governorship and house of assembly candidates across the state, the names you will see there are all the candidates here and the governorship candidate that is there is Ifagbemi Awamaridi.
Peter Obi
“Mr Peter Obi is our Presidential Candidate and we are all going to work for victory for all candidates.”
He alleged that some people had been sent by some politicians to decimate and destroy the LP so as to scuttle Mr Obi’s presidential ambition.
Mr Awamaridi, who called for unity and harmonisation among different support groups, said the party had conducted approved primaries monitored by INEC before the surge in the party over Obi’s defection.
“We have not been sleeping and joking with the power that be in Lagos state. We have been working and by the Grace of God, we are going to take over Lagos in 2023 to make life better.
“We are seriously on ground. We have completed our House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship primaries before Obi coming into our party.
“We are on ground and working to win. We are signing a bond and contract with the poor,” he said.
According to him, the chapter is not going into the 2023 elections empty and without agenda, hence the unveiling of the 10 cardinal programmes for the people of the state if elected.
“We want to dictate electioneering in Africa. if we don’t perform, people should tell us we have failed. These are our bonds with the masses,” he added.
Some of the programmes unveiled included, full commitment to restructuring, free adult and compulsory education up to tertiary level, free local health services, free internet connection throughout Lagos state and free stalls and start up capital for the poor.
Others were regular potable water, regular/alternative electricity, youth empowerment through public private partnership, affordable/comfortable transport configuration and redistribution of wealth from super-rich to the vulnerable/poor.
Mr Awamaridi, who decried wastages of public funds by politicians, said: “the wide gap between the rich and the poor is the reason for many challenges facing the nation, including security.”
He said the party would ensure redistribution of wealth from the super rich through taxation to better the lot of the poor.
Mr Awamaridi said the party had concluded arrangements to kick off massive mobilisation and registration of new members to expand the party for better performance in the 2023 general elections.
“We plan to register not less than four million new members. If we cannot get four million, we will get two milion newly registered voters. We are going to have a data base,” he said.
Speaking, Tony Onyekaba, Leader, the Nigerian Youth for Peter Obi, admonished the party leadership and all support groups to harmonise and work together to win.
“Let us go into this war with winning mentality. We must come together as a family to fight this battle. We should not go into this elections to test run, we must go to win. Let us present sellable candidates that can win,” Mr Onyekaba said.
NAN reports that the meeting was attended by some state executives of Labour Party, labour union leaders, youth groups and other support groups for the presidential ambition of Mr Obi.