The crisis appears to have hit the Lagos State chapter of the Labour Party as Prof Ifagbemi Awamaridi, at the weekend, insisted that he remains the governorship candidate of the party in the state for the 2023 general elections, saying that at no time did he withdraw his name from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list for the contest.
The party chieftain also insisted that he still remained the chairman of the Labour Party in the state as his tenure and his exco-led extends till December this year, recalling that the governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate, as well as those that produced 40 State House of Assembly, 24 House of Representatives and three Senatorial candidates for the political platform were held and concluded before Mr Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate came on board.
It would be recalled that the Caretaker Committee of the party led by Mr Kayode Salako, on Wednesday, in the Ikeja area of the state, picked Gbadebo Rhodes- Vivour as its governorship candidate for substitution in a primary held between the winner and Hon Moshood Adegoke Salvador, and supervised by the LP Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Lamidi Apampa, among others.
Awamaridi gave this position during a Press Conference/Unveiling of his 10 Cardinal Programmes, which took place at Alagbado area, beside AIT Television Station, declaring that those who said he had withdrawn from the race were “doing comedy.”
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The party chieftain, who alleged that some political interests outside the Labour Party were trying to import in moles to ensure the failure of the party at the coming general elections, disclosed that he made declaration on oath as the governorship candidate of the party, saying that for anyone to reverse such to make any withdrawal stand, such person would have to go back to court to effect another declaration on oath.
“The mistake they made was that they slept when we were doing our primaries to pick our governorship, 40 House of Assembly, 24 House of Representatives and 3 (three) Senatorial candidates before (Peter) Obi came into the party.
“We were working all along while they were sleeping. They thought they can block us,” he said.
Speaking on his chances at the poll, come to 2023 general elections, Awamaridi said he had the party structure in his grip, disclosing that he had a large chunk of supporters from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who he said had assured him of their votes, himself being a former chieftain of the party.
Besides, he also boasted that some others had equally assured him of their votes from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that his slogan “Irapada Eko, Atunto” for winning the poll was a spiritual Renaissance and also about repositioning and realignment of the system currently on the ground in the state.
Awamaridi, however, called on the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Obi, not to be complacent in order to ensure victory for the party nationwide, even as warned that a particular letter written on behalf of the party by some vested interests within the fold and dated May 18, 2022, had to be nullified as quickly as possible, else the party would be in trouble.
“Anybody that knows Obi should tell him that we have to vitiate the document dated May 18, 2022, otherwise we are in trouble. But we would not allow them to decimate us,” he said.
“That’s why l am saying that my brother, Obi is complacent. He has to get involved in politics and what is happening in the party. You can’t be looking the other way. You can’t be complacent. This is Nigerian politics.
“You must be able to reposition the party, he should not look the other way if wants the party to win, the party on whose platform he is standing an election,” he added.
On his programmes for Lagosians, if elected and sworn in as the next governor of Lagos State, Awamaridi said he was committed to restructuring and free, compulsory education up to the tertiary level as well as free local health services, regular potable water and regular/alternative electricity, among others.
Other members of the party exco that attended the press conference include Mr Alawiye Ibrahim (treasurer), Dr Akinloye Mohammed (publicity secretary), and Mr Femi Shodimu (secretary), among others.
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2023: Lagos LP in crisis as Awamaridi insists he remains gov candidate
2023: Lagos LP in crisis as Awamaridi insists he remains gov candidate
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