Labour Party crisis deepens as Awamaridi insists he's Lagos governorship candidate

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.
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