From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Four days to the 2023 governorship and House of Assembly elections, one of the major political parties in Nigeria, the Labour Party (LP), has announced the suspension of its governorship candidate in Kwara State, Abubakar Basambo, over what they described as anti-party activities and betrayal of trust.
Speaking with reporters in Ilorin, the state capital alongside leaders, candidates, support groups and members of the party, the Labour Party chairman, Comrade Kehinde Rotimi, said that the party had not aligned with any governorship candidate or political party in the state for the Saturday governorship elections.
It is recalled that the suspended governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Kwara state, Comrade Basambo Abubakar, had on Monday, addressed pressmen that the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state had decided to align political forces and work together in the March 18 governorship elections in the state in the hope of forming a unity government after governorship election victory.
Basambo Abubakar, a former aide to former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, had said that the union was expected to birth a collective dream for a prosperous Kwara state.
The Labour Party chairman, comrade Rotimi said that the suspended Labour Party governorship candidate acted unilaterally and against what the party stands for, added that he had no such authority to have announced the alignment of the Labour Party with any political party in the state.
The labour party chairman, Rotimi Kehinde, alongside other stakeholders of the party during the press conference.
The party chairman, who enjoined members of the public to disregard the statement credited to its governorship candidate, said that all House of Assembly candidates of the party are still in the race, urging voters to troop out en masse on Saturday to vote Labour Party.
“We’re here to set the record straight. Labour Party is a political party with an ideology, based on social justice and equality. Labour Party had not adopted the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Shuaib Yaman Abdullahi, as said by Basambo Abubakar. He has no such authority to issue such a statement on behalf of the party.
“We’re in a very sober mood right now because of our presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who was massively voted for by Nigerians, but the Nigerian system came into being as usual. Currently, he’s challenging the result of the election in court. So, it’s morally wrong for us to come out and say we’re adopting another party for governorship election against the wish of our presidential candidate”.
The state chairman of the Labour Party also said that the presidential candidate of the party had at no time mandated the party to work for PDP or any other political party in Nigeria. So, we’re not adopting PDP candidates under any guise. Whoever has done so, had done so at his own risk.
“We call on members of the public to disregard the information because it is misleading and incorrect. Labour Party remains one and committed to the Nigeria project. All our candidates are contesting this Saturday’s elections. Our mandate is sacrosanct and we’ll not negotiate.
“Basambo Abubakar has the right of freedom of association but we remain resolute and committed to our ideology and we’ve not adopted any governorship candidate or aligned our forces with any political party in the state.
“The National and State Working Committee of the Labour Party has ratified his suspension till further notice and henceforth he should not be related with as a member of the Labour Party,” he said.