The Lagos chapter of the Labour Party (LP) says it has risen above its long-drawn disagreement with the constitution of an all-inclusive steering committee to manage the affairs of the party into the 2023 general election
Tony Masha, the pre-Peter Obi vice chairman of the LP in Lagos, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Labour House, Yaba, Lagos. Masha said a 25-man steering committee is coming into place to run the party in Lagos and mobilise members and residents ahead of the 2023 general election.
Members of the steering committee, according to Masha, have been drawn from six critical LP groups in Lagos. They include the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Pre-Peter Obi LP, Kayode Salako’s Group, Peter Obi Group, and the Civil Society Group.
“Each group submitted four members to form the 25-man steering committed, with one additional brought in for a strategic reason,” Masha told journalists at the stakeholders’ meeting on Saturday, adding that the list has been forwarded to Julius Abure, the national chairman of the LP in Abuja for ratification.
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He said the steering committee will work as one body to drive the LP in Lagos and secure victory for all candidates of the party, from the presidency to the house of assembly in Lagos.
In view of this new development, Masha urged Kayode Salako to stop parading himself as the chairman of the LP in Lagos.
The state chapter of the LP for several months had been bedevilled by in-house disagreement, with Salako claiming the chairmanship.
Making reference to what transpired before now, Masha said: “Salako imposed chairmen in all LGAs in Lagos State and put his boys to destroy the party structure in the LGAs, confusing with the structures on the ground. To date, there’s a war in many LGAs between party members. Is this what Abure gave to us in Lagos state? God forbid”, Masha added.
In his reaction, however, Salako said he was still the chairman of the LP in Lagos.
“Olukayode Ezekiel Salako remains the authentic chairman recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos and no other person. If you are claiming that you are leading a political party that is not recognised by INEC, you are wasting your time,” Salako said.
