By Adeyemi Adeleye
Pastor Dayo Ekong-led State Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State says there is no crisis or faction in the chapter, describing any other group or exco as illegal and unconstitutional.
Ekong in a statement on Monday by the LP State Publicity Secretary, Mrs Olubunmi Odesanya, described the splitter group led by one Mr Olumide Adesoyin as impostors who were hell-bent in troubling the peace in the chapter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adesoyin on Friday announced a new LP exco in the state, disowning Ekong-led Executive Committee (Exco) which led the party into the 2023 General Elections in the state.
Adesoyin said the Ekong-led exco was no longer recognised by law, following the sack of the Mr Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, which appointed Ekong-led excos into office.
In a swift reaction, Ekong said that Adesoyin and his cohorts remained impostors, who interpreted court orders to suit their selfish interest.
Ekong said: “The general public should disregard Adesoyin’s claim because neither the party’s constitution nor INEC recognises them.
“The properly constituted Lagos LP exco is still in force and all party activities are still being carried out from the party secretariat situated on No 59, Oduduwa Way, GRA, Ikeja.
“Nigerians should know that there is no faction in Labour party, either at the National or State level.
“There is only one legally constitutional and recognised national chairman and secretary of the party in the persons of Barrister Julius Abure and Alhaji Umar Farouk respectively.”
Stating that the Constitution of the party did not know any position of acting national chairman, Ekong said that all matters pending in court would be resolved.
According to her, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa claiming to be acting national chairman of the party through the back door is allegedly troubling the peace within the LP but the party will not give in to any antics of the destabilisers.
Ekong said that Adesoyin’s claim of his exco being constituted by Apapa was an illegality, as stakeholders remained solidly behind Abure-led NWC.
Ekong said: “For sake of clarity, Mr Apapa and his cohorts are suspended members of a national working committee of the party.
“They were suspended via a resolution made at the NEC meeting of the Party held at Asaba Delta State on April 18, 2023. A certified true copy of the NEC report of the said meeting is available for anyone to inspect and verify.
“In view of the above, Mr Lamidi Apapa and his co-travellers do not have any power or locus to carry out any function as officers of a party both at national and state level.”
She said the order of Justice D.O. Osiager in suit No: FHC/L/CS/1277/2023 on July 17 ordered the Apapa group to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in the suit.
According to her, the implication of the order is that the Apapa group cannot do anything whatsoever in the capacity of the officers of the party until the matter is disposed off and suit is adjourned to the Oct. 9, 2023.
She said that Adesoyin group was not recognised by the national body of the party, Mr Peter Obi, the LP Presidential Candidate and all “Obidient Movements”.
“Nigerians and Lagos residents have seen through this group’s shenanigans and know that the group is playing out a script to justify the pay of their paymasters.
“Labour Party is focused on getting our mandate back. And this is happening sooner than later,” Ekong said. (NAN)
