By Sunday Ani
The national leadership of the Labour Party (LP), has resolved the protracted leadership tussle in its Lagos chapter, with the inauguration of a new interim State Executive Committee (SEC), comprising 25 members.
The inauguration of the new exco led by Mrs. Dayo Ekong on Wednesday, ended the lingering leadership crisis in the state chapter, which has witnessed three different chairpersons in the last six months
Inaugurating the new exco at the party’s secretariat in Lagos, the National Legal Adviser, Akingbade Oyelekan, who represented the National Chairman, Julius Abure, declared that Mrs. Ekong led exco remained the authentic leadership of the LP in Lagos and that there was no faction in Lagos LP.
He expressed confidence that the new exco would lead the party to victory in the state even as he charged them to go out and work hard to ensure that the party wins every position both at the national and state levels during the forthcoming general elections.
On the appointment of a woman as the party’s chairperson in Lagos, he noted that the party was fully gender-sensitive as both Taraba and Plateau States’ executives were being led by women, whom he said were doing great works.
“There’s no faction in the Labour Party in Lagos. There’s only one legally constituted, authentic and recognized state leadership led by Mrs. Dayo Ekong. This is the final approval by the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Chairman. The new exco is ready for elections and I am confident that they will deliver. I urge the public to disregard any rumour of any kind of faction in the party. The party is prepared and our structure is ready all over the country. Please go and work to deliver LP candidates across board,” Oyelekan stated.
In her response, Mrs. Ekong commended the party for having the confidence to entrust the leadership of the party in Lagos to a woman, saying she was ready to work towards ensuring victory for the party.
She promised to offer an all inclusive leadership, while reiterating that there was no faction in the party in Lagos as peace had finally returned to the party.
While commending the party for the bold step it took to restore peace in the party in Lagos, she called on all party members to rise up to the occasion to ensure victory for the party. She said: “I’m here to work. We’re ready to work. There’s no time for quarreling, we have only 37 days to work before the elections. It is for our work to speak and we are sure that our work will lead us to victory at the polls. I want to assure Nigerians that a new dawn is here. The unity in LP is here and it has come to stay. I pledge my loyalty and undivided attention to ensure that LP becomes the first party in Lagos henceforth. We must work to ensure victory for our presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the Lagos State governorship candidate, Gbedebo-Vivor.”
She also promised the youths that Nigeria under the leadership of Obi would be ready for them, assuring them that the hope they have been longing for would be given to them. She noted that LP would do everything to restore sanity to Nigeria and end the ‘Japa syndrome’ which has seen youths migrate in droves to foreign lands in search of greener pastures.
She condemned the assassination of the LP women leader in Kaduna State, promising that LP would not abandon her family. She equally appealed to the opposition parties to stop terrorizing, harassing, intimidating and attacking LP members in Lagos State, saying, “Not everybody will lead. They should allow peace to reign. They should not terrorise, oppress and attack us.”
