The Lamidi Apapa-led factional national working committee (NWC) of the Labour Party, on Saturday, officially inaugurated the party’s 24-man caretaker state working committee (SWC) for Lagos.
The crisis rocking the Labour Party has worsened in Lagos State with the emergence of a factional chairman, Olumide Adesoyin, recently.
Apapa-led faction disowned the Dayo Ekong-led executive committee, which led the party into the 2023 general elections, constituted by Julius Abure-led NWC.
Inaugurating Adesoyin-led LP state working committee in Lagos, Mr Apapa, acting national chairman, in company of other NWC members, said that the LP remained a creation of the law and no one was above the law.
According to him, there is no going back in his faction’s readiness to steer the affairs of the party.
“Labour Party will not tolerate any act of indiscipline. Labour Party will not accept any act of illegality.
“Labour Party believes that nobody is above the law and this why the level we are today is because of our belief in the court process.
“You are on the right side. If the other camp fails to join you, the train will soon move. Tell them to come and join us because we need more people,” he said.
According to him, the party’s grievances with former national chairman, Mr Abure, started when he allegedly presented himself as being above the law.
According to him, the courts have restrained Mr Abure from parading himself as national chairman.
“Nobody is above the law. Labour Party is a creation of law and if the party is created by law, anyone who violates the law is not a member of the party.
There is nothing for us to fear. There is no going back, Abure has been restrained by courts. We are not joking,” he said.
The acting chairman said that rather than continuing in blackmailing, the Abure-led group should dissipate energy in legality.
Mr Apapa explained that he was not begging to become the national chairman of LP, but destiny, nature and right had made him the acting national chairman morally and legally.
Mr Apapa said that his faction had been winning all court cases at the Federal High Court and Appeal Court, “they still want to continue but whether they like it or not the truth shall prevail.”
On the forthcoming off-cycle elections, Mr Apapa assured the party faithful that INEC would soon accept the list of the LP candidates produced through the primaries conducted by the faction.
“INEC is bound to accept our list because the commission is a creation of law and cannot be above the law. Whether INEC likes it or not, it must recognise our list of candidates.
“INEC is bound by law to upload the names of those that we conducted primary for. It is an issue of law,” Mr Apapa said.
He, however, said that the party was not opposed to reconciliation.
In his inaugural address, Mr Adesoyin said that his team had been given the power and authority to steer the affairs of the party in the state.
Earlier in his welcome party, Abass Aroyeun, the national vice chairman (South West) said that Mr Apapa had given the party a new lease of life and ability to breathe.
Mr Aroyeun urged the party faithful nationwide to remain pillar of support to Apapa-led NWC for the party to succeed.
The inaugurated SWC members include Messrs Omotayo Anjorin (deputy chairman), Olanrewaju Ibrahim (deputy chairman), Kayode Yusuf (deputy chairman), Felix Odusanya (deputy chairman), Peter Olusegun (deputy chairman), Nnaemeka Anajemba (secretary) and Richard Oliseyenum (assistant secretary).
Others include Azubike Peters (treasurer), Akinrele Abioye (financial secretary), Kunle Okunola (organising secretary), Ademola Hassan (auditor), Abass Ibrahim (legal adviser), Dupe Awe (woman leader), Elliot Ebije (youth leader), Samad Okufuwa (publicity secretary), among others.
The event was also attended by LGA and ward chairmen of Labour Party and other stakeholders loyal to Mr Apapa, including Moshood Salvador.
Some acting NWC members in attendance were Abayomi Arabambi (national publicity secretary), Saleh Lawan (secretary), Favour Reuben (national organising secretary), and Mohammed Alkali (national vice chairman), among other leaders.