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  • Oyo State Labour Party Adopts Makinde As Guber Candidate for Second Term

    Oyo State Labour Party Adopts Makinde As Guber Candidate for Second Term

    The State Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP) in Oyo State has declared support for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Seyi Makinde, in Saturday’s election

    Addressing journalists at the party’s state office, in Ibadan, yesterday, the party chairman, Mr. Tunji Sadiq, said the party had resolved to use the entire structure of the party throughout the 33 local government areas of the state to support the re-election bid of governor Seyi Makinde.

    Sadiq said the party decided to support the PDP candidate because Makinde’s ideology aligned with its.

    He said Makinde’s ideology aligned with that of the LP in the aspects of security, infrastructural development, agriculture and industry, health, financial independence, economic wellbeing of the people.

    He added the party did a thorough assessment and evaluation of the various governorship candidates and discovered that Makinde stood out above others in terms of character, competence, capacity and compassion for the people.

    Sadiq said the party also opined that it was logical for Makinde to be allowed to “continue the good work he has started to engender another four years of giant development in Oyo State.”

    Asked about the fact the LP has a governorship candidate in Mr. Taofeek Akinwale, Sadiq said though Akinwale was the party’s candidate, the party’s candidate took the decision to support Makinde of the PDP in the best interest of the party and the citizens of the state.

    The LP chairman further held that it took the decision to support Makinde because its unbiased assessment of Akinwale revealed that he cannot win the election.

    While supporting Makinde, Sadiq said its party did not collapse its structure into the PDP, saying its structure still was in place to support its other candidates for House of Assembly.

    Sadiq said: “On our thorough assessment of the various governorship candidates for the March 11, 2023 election in terms of character, competence, capacity, and compassion for people, His Excellency, Oluseyi Makinde excels above the others.

    “Therefore we, at the LP Oyo State, have decided to use the entire structure of our party throughout the 33 local governments to support his re-election for another four years of giant development in Oyo state. And we call on all citizens of Oyo State to vote massively for him. He deserves it.

    “He is a candidate that will serve the best interest of the masses the most. It is not that we are collapsing the party structure. The party structure remains, and will use it for other activities. Our candidates for the House of Assembly remain and we will follow it through.

    “Tawfiq Akinwale remains the governorship candidate. There is a process for which a candidate is thrown up. You do primary and once the person is selected or elected, the person becomes the candidate of the party.

    Tawfiq Akinwale is the candidate of the party but the party structure did an unbiased and dispassionate assessment of our gber candidate and found out that, on a normal day, there is no way he will win that election. It will be unhealthy for us to know what will become of our aspiration and still go ahead.

    “For us not to lose focus in the development of the party, it is in the best interest of the party, especially the citizens, to look for a candidate that represents our interest, that has our ideology and delivers for our people, that is what we see in Seyi Makinde. We did this without financial inducement. We are people-focused; people-friendly and we are for the masses.”

  • Court Grants Labour Party’s Request Compelling INEC to E-Transmit Results from PU In Next Election

    Court Grants Labour Party’s Request Compelling INEC to E-Transmit Results from PU In Next Election

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted leave to Labour Party and 41 others to apply for Judicial Review and Mandamus Orders compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to directly and electronically upload results from the polling units in the state to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) for the governorship and house of assembly election.

    Labour Party and the other applicants in the case including its Lagos governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, had approached the court via a motion ex parte to compel INEC to comply with Clause 37 and 38 of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 on electronic transmission of results and Section 27 of the Electoral Act on distribution of election materials.

    They sought declarations preventing INEC from engaging persons who are partisans from distributing election materials as well as an order compelling the electoral body to adhere to the guidelines on the conduct of elections.

    Justice Peter Lifu who presided over the case, also restrained INEC from engaging the services of individuals or companies who are members of any political party in the distribution of electoral materials.

    Lifu said;

    “That leave is hereby granted to the applicant to apply for an order of mandamus compelling the defendant and all its agents and/or their privies or any persons acting under their directions to comply with and enforce the provision of clause 38 of the REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS, 2022, for the conduct of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Lagos State on 11 March 2023 to wit: mandating the presiding officer of all polling units to electronically transmit or transfer the result of the polling units, direct to the collation system and use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after the completion of all the Polling Units voting and results procedures.

    “A declaration that the defendant and all its agents and/or their privies or any persons acting under their directions are bound to comply with and enforce the provision of clause 37 of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022, for the conduct of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Lagos State on 11 March 2023 to wit: Mandating the presiding officer of all polling unit to paste the Publication of Result Poster EC60(E) at the polling units conspicuously after completing the EC8A result sheet.”

    Lifu granted the applicants’ request to abridge the time within which INEC may respond to its Originating Summons, and also ordered that the Court Order and the Originating summons be served on before adjourning the matter till March 7th 2023 for Hearing.

  • Labour Party Clinches 6 Senate, 34 Reps Seats In National Assembly

    Labour Party Clinches 6 Senate, 34 Reps Seats In National Assembly

    Labour Party (LP) seems to be gradually making inroads into mainstream politics as the party has got six Senate and 34 House of Representatives seats in the February 25 National Assembly (NASS) elections.

    Relatively obscure in the political arena before now, LP, which was previously known as the Party for Social Democracy (PSD), gained unprecedented popularity with what has been described by many as the Peter Obi phenomenon. The milestone of LP in the just-concluded elections for the red and green chambers is no doubt credited to the fame and acceptance of the party’s flag bearer by an overwhelming youth majority known as ‘Obidients’.

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on Saturday, said, “In last Saturday’s elections, winners have also been declared for 423 national legislative seats while supplementary elections will be held in 46 constituencies.

    “In the Senate, 98 out of 109 seats have been declared. So far, seven political parties have won senatorial seats while in the House of Representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been won by eight political parties.”

    In terms of party representation for the 10th Assembly, the INEC chief said APC won 57 Senate seats; the PDP, 29; LP, 6; SDP, 2; NNPP, 2; YPP, 1; and APGA, 1. For the lower chamber, the electoral chair said the APC has 162 seats; PDP, 102; LP, 34; NNPP, 18; APGA, 4; ADC, 2; SDP, 2; YPP, 1.

    Yakubu also said Certificates of Return would be presented to Senators-elect on Tuesday at the National Collation Centre (the International Conference Centre), Abuja, while Members of the House of Representatives-elect would receive theirs the following day, Wednesday at the same venue.

    Compared to its phenomenal stride in the 2023 elections, the LP did not get a single seat in the 2019 National Assembly elections. Four years ago, out of the 360 seats in the house, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the majority seats with over 211 members and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got over 111 members. The other seats were shared amongst the smaller parties.

    For the Senate, the APC commanded the Senate majority with 64 senators, trailed by the PDP with 44 and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) with a single seat. The figures have since changed with the series of defections in the 9th National Assembly.

  • Labour Party, CAN Debunks Reports Of N2bn Cash Gift From Peter Obi

    Labour Party, CAN Debunks Reports Of N2bn Cash Gift From Peter Obi

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Labour Part has dismissed claims suggesting that a certain N2 billion which was given by Mr Peter Obi to Churches under the umbrella of CAN, has been misappropriated.

    In a statement the President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the Christian body categorically stated that the so-called claim which emanated from a letter of petition reportedly signed by one Pastor Frank Onwumere, is illogical.

    Acoording to Archbishop Okoh, the petition which was addressed to his office, can at best be described as a failed attempt to drag the apex Christian body into the politics of 2023.

    He, however, noted that CAN will investigate the source of the letter in the interest of the public.

    In a bid to set the records straight, Archbishop Okoh said he is not aware of any N2bn given to Churches in Nigeria to mobilise votes for any 2023 presidential candidate and never received the said petition dated December 22, 2022.

    “Nigerians should note that CAN, as a faith-based entity, maintains its non-partisan stance and will not endorse or mobilise support for any candidate in the upcoming elections as against the social media post being circulated by some elements bent on soiling its name and image,” the statement partly read.

    CAN through its president, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the purported letter of petition as its content are not only untrue, but malicious.

    Archbishop Okoh warned all those peddling the falsehood to desist from such acts, adding that they are capable of defaming innocent people and revered religious institutions as well as breaching public peace.

    In a similar vein, the Special Adviser to Mr Peter Obi on Strategic Alliances, Valentine Ozigbo, has said that the claims suggesting a cash gift was given to CAN by the LP flagbearer, is nothing but fake news.

    Mr Ozigbo who on Monday was a guest on Channels Television’s 2023 Verdict, alluded to CAN’s statement, stressing that the individual who was alleged to have made the claim, has gone on to deny it.

    According to Ozigbo, politicians are doing all kinds of things just to portray Peter Obi in a negative light, a move which he says has yielded no fruit as Peter Obi remains untainted even by the fake news being peddled by leaders of other parties.

  • BREAKING: LP Announces Osuntokun As New Obi-Datti Campaign DG

    BREAKING: LP Announces Osuntokun As New Obi-Datti Campaign DG

    The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Tuesday announced Akin Osuntokun, a former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo, as the new Director General of his campaign council.

    Osuntokun replaced former DG of the Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, who announced his resignation in a letter last Tuesday following a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that convicted him of violating the Money Laundering Act.

    The letter was addressed personally to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

    Details later…

  • Labour Party Sacks National Publicity Secretary, Dissolves Ogun Executives

    Labour Party Sacks National Publicity Secretary, Dissolves Ogun Executives

    The National Working Committee of Labour Party on Friday terminated the appointment of its acting National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, and dissolved the Ogun chapter of the party over the role they played in the alleged expulsion of the Director General of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe.

    This is even as the NWC passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of its embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, saying it has reviewed all the corruption allegations levelled against him and found him not capable.

    Okupe and 10 members of the party were removed by the leadership of the Ogun State chapter of LP over alleged “non-financial membership status, political rascality and misappropriation of funds.”

    The affected members were deputy State Chairman II East, Jagun Lookman; state Women Leader, Oluwabukola Soyoye, ex-state Treasurer, Gbadebo Fesomade; state Publicity Secretary, Jide Amusan; state Youth Leader, Abdulmalik Olaleye; Assistant State Youth Leader, Adeshina Shojobi; Senatorial Women Leader Ogun East, Deborah Adewale; Assistant State Secretary, Olatunde Abolade, Abel Olaleye and Abayomi Collins.

    Their dismissal was miffed with accusation and counter-accusation by the party’s hierarchy, which saw the National Chairman of the party labelled Obi’s DG sacking as “fake news.”

    Abure claimed that the state executives had no locus standi to remove him.

    But rising from an emergency meeting of the NWC in Abuja, the National Secretary of Labour Party, Umar Farouk, announced the sacking of the LP spokesperson, dissolution of its state chapter in Ogun and suspension of its chairman and other executives.

    According to him, the party can no longer condone such anti-party activities among its rank and file.

    He said, “The acting National Publicity Secretary has been relieved of his appointment by the National Working Committee. A disciplinary committee has also been constituted to investigate his anti-party activities as a member of the Labour Party.

    “The Ogun State chapter of the party has also been dissolved and the chairman and its exco suspended. A caretaker will be appointed to take care for the party’s activities in the state. They will also be investigated by the disciplinary committee for anti-party activities.

    “The NWC has also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the National Chairman, Julius Abure. Consequently, we call on the party members to adhere strictly to the provision of the Constitution and Code of Conduct of the party. We also call on the general public to have more confidence in the party as the leadership of the party is working very hard to ensure that we are not distracted. The bad elements and the Judas among us will be fished out gradually and punished in accordance with the Constitution of the party.

    We also called on Nigerians to disregard any negative information spread by some miscreants as the party’s loyalists, whereas we have found out they are acting out the script of our opposition.”

  • 2023: Labour Party To Implement N80,000-N100,000 Minimum Wage

    2023: Labour Party To Implement N80,000-N100,000 Minimum Wage

    The Labour Party says it would implement a minimum wage of N80,000-N100,000 if the party wins next year’s presidential election.

    A few days ago, the Labour Party unveiled its manifesto after a long wait with its presidential candidate Peter Obi touting the payment of hourly wages as against the current monthly format in the country.

    While speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, the party’s Deputy National Chairman Ayo Olorunfemi said the LP is looking at implementing a new minimum wage of between N80,000-N100,000 as against the N30,000 obtainable presently.

    “It depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500-N3,000 per day which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour,” he said on the show.

    “So, when you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.”

    When asked to further clarify his comment, the LP chieftain maintained that the party is eyeing “N80,000-N100,000” as a new monthly minimum wage, noting that “that is exactly where we are going!”

    As far as he is concerned, the present N30,000 minimum wage does not reflect the realities, saying the Labour Party would pluck holes and exploit new ways to ensure the new wage structure is implemented if the party wins next year’s polls.

    “As a matter of fact, you know the amount of oil in the name of oil theft that has been leaving this country,” Mr Olorufemi added. “We know where these things are coming from. They say there is no money but we know these monies have been stashed in the rooms or toilets of a few persons.”

  • Ogun Labour Party Warns Okupe not to Represent Party Again

    Ogun Labour Party Warns Okupe not to Represent Party Again

    The Labour Party (LP), Ogun State yesterday, warned the Director General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Committee, Dr Doyin Okupe and some members of the State Working Committee of the party, to stop representing the party, henceforth or be ready for a law suit.

    The warning, was issued at a news conference addressed by the State LP chairman, Mr. Michael Ashade in Abeokuta, stating that Okupe has lost membership of the party, for allegedly flouting Article 9(3)iii of party’s constitution.

    Ashade, who listed names of SWC members that had to vacate their offices, said they had contravened the same section of the Constitution of the party that deals with payment of party financial contribution to the party.

    Flanked by the LP State Secretary, Feyisola Michael, Ashade stated “

    “Article 9(3)iii of our Party’s Constitution states as follows: “only members who pay their monthly membership dues at rates prescribed shall be deemed to be bonafide members of the Party. Arrears of dues of up to six months shall lead to forfeiture of membership.

    “Despite repeated demand from various meetings I had with Dr Doyin Okupe in respect of his mandatory constitutional requirements to fulfill membership’s status, he has failed woefully in this regards with some others to flagrantly disobey the constitution of LP.

    He has polarized the party in Ogun State with his crops of PDP dissidents political liabilities who are only using LP to revive their irredeemable dead political lives.

    “Therefore in line with Article 19(3) of the Labour Party constitutional provision, we declare that Dr. Doyin Okupe, having failed in the payment of his membership dues for the last six months of joining the party, has forfeited his membership of the party and no longer fit and competent to continue to act as the DG of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).

    “We hereby notify our National Chairman Julius Abure and LP presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that it’s expedient to obey the constitution of LP by immediately appointing another DG for the PCC and that should come from the North to reflect Federal Characters and political balance.

    “We challenge Dr. Doyin Okupe to provide evidence of any payment in respect of membership dues prior to today into any bank account of the party.

    “Article 9(3)xi of the Party’s Constitution states that “only fully registered and financially up to date members of the Party shall have the right to vie for office in the Ward Executive, Local Government Area Executive, State Executive Councils and the National Working Committee of the Party or be a delegate to the Congresses and the National Convention”.

    Ashade listed the names and offices of the people, who seized to be members of the party, for allegedly contravening the constitution.

    The affected persons are: Dr Doyin Okupe, Mr Abayomi Collins, Hon. Abel Olaleye,Jagub Lookman, who is the Deputy State Chairman II, Ogun East.

    Other affected persons are: Mrs Oluwabukola Soyoye, former State Women Leader; Mr. Gbadebo Fesomade, former State Treasurer;

    Mr. Abdulmalik Olaleye, former State Youth Leader; Mr. Jide Amusan, former State Publicity Secretary; Mr. Adeshina Wasiu Shojobi, former Asst State Youth Leader.

    The list also affected Miss Deborah Adewale, Former Senatorial Women Leader Ogun East;

    Mr. Olatunde Abolade, former Asst State Secretary

    The LP chairman, said the State Executive Council has therefore approved their replacement in acting capacity since nature abhor vacuum.

    He said: “Any disobedience exhibited by any of the affected former party members shall be resisted through lawful means of enforcement in the court of competent jurisdiction.”

    Contributing, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, said as a national officer of the party, the action of the SWC , was in line with the constitution of the party.

    He said: “I am in total support of the action of the State Exco of the Labour Party. I hereby warned the LP Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, to stop relating with Dr Doyin Okupe. If he did not abide by the warning, we shall head for court and do things that will adversely affect our candidate and we shall scatter everything. “

  • Labour Party Dismisses It’s PCC DG, Doyin Okupe, Others

    Labour Party Dismisses It’s PCC DG, Doyin Okupe, Others

    The Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party has expelled the party’s Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Doyin Okupe, for failure to perform his financial membership status in the past six months contrary to the dictate of the party’s constitution.

    Okupe was dismissed alongside Abayomi Collins, Abel Olaleye, Jagun Lookman, Olori Oluwabukola Soyoye,  Gbadebo Fesomade, (former State Treasurer), and  Abdulmalik Olaleye (former State Youth Leader). The rest are Jide Amusan( former State Publicity Secretary), Adeshina Wasiu Shojobi (former Asst State Youth Leader), Deborah Adewale, (former Senatorial Women Leader Ogun East), and Olatunde Abolade (former Asst State Secretary).

    This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Thursday where they called for the emergence of a new director general of Northern extraction to reflect the national character and political balance.

    “Article 9(3) iii of our Party’s Constitution states as follows: ‘only members who pay their monthly membership dues at rates prescribed shall be deemed to be bonafide members of the party. Arrears of dues of up to six months shall lead to forfeiture of membership,” the State Chairman of the party Michael Ashade said.

    “Despite repeated demands from various meetings I had with Dr. Doyin Okupe in respect of his mandatory constitutional requirements to fulfill membership status, he has failed woefully in this regard with some others to flagrantly disobey the Constitution of Labour party.

    “In line with article 19(3) of the Labour Party constitutional provision, we declare that Dr. Doyin Okupe, having failed in the payment of his membership dues for the last six months of joining the party, has forfeited his membership of the party and no longer fit and competent to continue to act as the DG of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).

    “We hereby notify our National Chairman, Bar Julius Abure and Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that it’s expedient to obey the Constitution of the party by immediately appointing another DG for the PCC and that should come from the North to reflect Federal Characters and political balance.”

    He said their action has become imperative in order to enforce discipline and internal democracy as he accused Okupe of polarising the Labour Party in the South-West state “with his crops of PDP  dissidents political liabilities who are only using Labour Party to revive their not only irredeemable dead political and financial lives but has successfully stolen all that is available in LP”.

  • 2023: IGP In Closed-Door Meeting With Political Party Leaders

    2023: IGP In Closed-Door Meeting With Political Party Leaders

    The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, is currently meeting with leaders of all 18 political parties that will participate in the next general election.

    The meeting, which is being held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, was convened to avoid electoral violence before, during and after the 2023 elections.

    Our correspondent reports that the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, represented his party while the national organising secretary, Arugungu represented the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    Also in attendance include the Presidential candidate of African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore; officials of the Labour Party among others.

    Speaking before the meeting went into a closed door, Baba said this meeting became expedient following a noticeable trend within “the national political space which, if not promptly addressed could evolve into a potent threat to not just our national security but the electoral process.

    “Political violence manifest in three forms. First is violence that is targeted at the personnel and assets of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as recently witnessed in Ogun and Osun States.

    “The second form of political violence manifests in form of inter-party intolerance and violence which often become particularly pronounced during campaigns, elections, and post-elections phases.

    “It is on record that not less than fifty-two (52) cases of such politically-motivated, intra, and inter-party violence has been recorded across 22 states since the official commencement of campaigns for the 2023 General Elections on 28th September, 2022.”