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Tag: LP

  • 2019: We will provide viable alternative to APC, PDP, says LP

    The Labour Party said it would provide Nigerians with a viable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 general elections.

    The party said both the PDP and APC have failed Nigerians in their effort to deliver good governance.

    National Chairman of the party, Dr. Mike Omotosho, said this at a media parley with reporters in Abuja at the weekend.

    He said: “People are already complaining. That is why we said we need to come up as the party of the masses, the party of the people and be the voice of the voiceless and give hope to them. It is the only country we have.

    “Let’s look inwards and see how we can build this country called Nigeria. Whether we like it or not it starts with leadership. The power truly belongs to the people. But the people are not aware that the power belongs to them.

    “For the very first time in the history of this country the Labour Party is poised to provide innovative leadership that will be transparent, that will be accountable, that will be purposeful and most importantly, that will be principled, and responsible to the pains and complains of the people.

    “Whether we like it or not it’s all about the people. That’s what democracy is all about. Let’s focus for once on the people.”

  • Abducted LP chief’s mum freed

    Seventy-one-year-old Mrs.  Elizabeth Omotosho, who was abducted eight days ago by gunmen, has been freed.

    She is the mother of the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Dr. Mike Omotosho.

    The Nation learnt she was freed last Friday. Mrs. Omotosho was taken from her Tanke, Ilorin, Kwara State home by the gunmen,who demanded N100 million ransom.

    Dr. Omotosho confirmed his mother’s release in a statement.

    He said no ransom was paid.

    Omotosho thanked Nigerians, who stood by the family during their ordeal.

    Police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said Commissioner Mr. Lawan Ado would formally brief the public on the rescue of Mrs. Omotosho today.

  • 15 parties back restructuring

    At least 15 political parties on the platform of the Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN) have expressed support for the restructuring of the country.

    CNN’s National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, who disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, said the coalition was determined to chart a new course for the country.

    According to him, CNN is committed to the unity, indivisibility and progress of Nigeria.

    He said the vision of the coalition was a new Nigeria that would be secure and prosperous through effective governance.

    Abdulsalam said: “Our goal will be to create jobs for all those who want to work and economic opportunity for all to achieve.

    “Our immediate task will be to strive to heal the wounds of the past through reclamation, reconciliation and reformation.

    “We are committed to the economic, political and internal restructuring of Nigeria as well as empowering of our youths, women and persons with disability through well-articulated policies toward a better Nigeria.”

    He said CNN would engage in a holistic fight against corruption with the sole aim of abolishing hunger and poverty.

    The CNN national chairman said the coalition looks forward to a government that would undertake economic renovation and reforms capable of transforming the country into a leading industrial giant.

    The 15 political parties in the coalition are – Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), National Action Council (NAC), Democratic People’s Congress (DPC), Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), People for Democratic Change (PDC) and Democratic Alternative (DA).

    Others are – Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), Action Alliance (AA), United Democratic Party (UDP), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Young Democratic Party (YDP) and Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP).

    NAN

  • PDP ‘ll contest council poll under LP, says Lagos chair

    The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will contest next month’s local government election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Lagos, the state’s PDP Chairman Moshood Salvador said the decision was imperative because of the crisis rocking the party at the national level.

    He said PDP reached an alliance with LP to enable the former field its candidates for the council polls.

    The PDP chairman said the arrangement would enable party loyalists wishing serving the state to exercise their franchise.

    Salvador noted that the Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff and Senator Buruji Kashamu groups took advantage of the crisis to reduce the chances of PDP in the forthcoming council poll in Lagos by working with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said: “The Alimodu Sheriff group of Lagos PDP, with the special interest of Senator Buruji Kashamu, also took advantage of the crisis, connived with APC to reduce the chances of PDP success in the forthcoming Lagos council election.

    “They came with several violent actions to disturb the smooth running of the Salvador-led PDP administration in Lagos State. But with Salvador’s leadership quality and experience, he refused to be distracted, and foiled their plans.

  • APC sweeps Benue LGC seats

    APC sweeps Benue LGC seats

    The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) announced on Sunday that the All Progressive Congress (APC), had won all the 23 local government chairmanship seats in the elections held on Saturday.

    It also announced that the party won all the councillorship positions, with some of the candidates returned unopposed.

    BSIEC chairman John Tsuwa who declared the results in Makurdi, however, declined to release details of votes scored by the candidates.

    “The figures are not ready. I will not entertain questions because this is not a press conference,,” he told curious newsmen.

    Tsuwa said that eight political parties participated in the exercise and listed them to include Accord Party, APC, PDP, SDP, ACB, PPP, LP and NNPP.

    He thanked security agencies for ensuring a smooth conduct of the elections, and expressed happiness that no case of violence or snatching of ballot box was reported throughout the exercise.

  • LP decries LASIEC guidelines

    LP decries LASIEC guidelines

    The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of Labour Party (LP), Pastor Biodun Popoola, has faulted the guidelines of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on the council election scheduled to hold on July 22, saying it will infringe the democratic rights of the people.

    At a conference in Lagos, Popoola explained that the guidelines would disenfranchise Nigerians who were desirous of serving the people, because the conditions stipulated by the umpire were unfair.

    He said many political parties have been boxed to a corner and may not not field candidates for the election, because of the stringent guidelines. The LP Chairman said LASIEC was doing the bidding of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said: “The guidelines release by LASIEC on April 7 for the forthcoming local government elections, by Justice Ayotunde Phillips, which spelt out the administrative charges to be paid by political parties on behalf of their candidates, is to limit participation of other political parties.

    “It is in furtherance of their premeditated caveat to disenfranchise the poor by instructing that candidates must attach tax clearance certificates for three years among other requirements.”

    Popoola said that the decision of the commission not to use Card Reader machine for the conduct of the council election, because the law setting the commission had no provision for the use of the machine, is to conduct a dubious election.

    He added: “This is totally at variance with democratic process; it is atrocious, intolerable, condemnable and unacceptable. The Lagos State Labour Party has gone to court to seek relief on the outright cancellation of the primitive, impervious administrative fees slammed by LASIEC.”

    The party chieftain said the party would participate in the election, adding that it would continue to struggle against the annihilation of the people’s fundamental political rights. He added: “We have therefore embarked on state-wide consultations in the last few weeks, to solicit for support in the 57 councils in order to thwart the ploy to keep Lagos State under one party perpetually.”

    He maintained that the LP had all it takes to win the council polls in the areas that it would field candidates.

    Popoola called on LASIEC to play by the rule of the game, noting that the composition its board was already making most of the political parties uncomfortable.

    He said: “Some card-carrying members of the APC are on the board of LASIEC. Some of them had contested elections in the past, for the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly.

    “They are now serving in the board as umpires to supervise the election in which their party will participate. There is no way they would discharge their duty without discrimination or bias.”

  • PDP, LP lose members to APC in Delta

    PDP, LP lose members to APC in Delta

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) in Delta State, at the weekend, lost hundreds of members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The defections took place at Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North local government area during a “Unity Consolidation” meeting of the Isoko people in the APC.

    Leading the PDP defectors, a former member of the party, Benjamin Efekodo, representing Isoko South Constituency 1 in the House of Assembly, said they were joining the APC to mobilise for it’s victory in 2019 in order to enthrone good governance in the state.

    Also, a former President-General of Isoko Development Union and running mate to Chief Great Ogboru in the last Delta State governorship election, Chief Peter Erebi  who led the Labour Party defectors, spoke in the same vein and expressed joy that they were back in the fold of people they had worked together with in the past.

    He promised that they will work hard to deliver Isoko to the APC during the 2019 general elections.

    Receiving the new members, the Leader of the party in Isoko, Chief Lucky Esigie, thanked them for their wise decision.

    He urged all leaders and members of the party in Isoko to go to their wards and mobilise for the party’s victory in the state, assuring that members of the APC were one family in Isoko.

    Speakers at the meeting expressed happiness at the ability of the party’s leadership to harmonise all interests for the party’s unity in Isoko ahead of 2019.

  • 30 political parties to participate in Ondo guber poll

    30 political parties to participate in Ondo guber poll

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Tuesday announced that thirty political parties will participate in the November 26, governorship election in Ondo State.

    It also informed that it has put in another arrangement to ensure smooth accreditation and voting process during the poll.

    This it said would reduce the rigorous process being experienced by the commission during the poll.

    The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje disclosed at a press conference held in Akure, the state capital.

    Agbaje said all parties intended to participate in the contest have concluded their primaries as at on Monday.

    The REC listed the parties as Alliance for Democracy, (AD), Social Democratic Party,( SDP), People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), African People Alliance, (APA), Peoples Redemption Party, (PRP), All Progressives Congress, (APC) and Labour Party,( LP).

    It also include Citizens Popular Party,( CPP), People’s Party of Nigeria, (PPN) ,Democratic People’s Party, (DPP), Democratic People’s Congress, (DPC), New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), Hope Democratic Party,( HDP), National Unity Party, (NUP), and Better Nigeria Progressive Party,( BNPP).

    Others were: Young Democratic Party, (YDP), Accord Party, (AP), All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), Progressive Peoples Alliance, (PPA), African Democratic Congress, (ADC), Action Alliance,( AA) , Unity of Nigeria (UPN), KOWA Party, (KP), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Independent Democrats, (ID), Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), National Conscience Party, (NCP, United Democratic Party,(UDP), United Progressive Party,( UPP) and Advanced Congress of Democrats, (ACD).

    Agbaje who appreciated the peaceful conduct of political parties during their primaries, noted that the standard of the conduct exhibited will benefit the deepening of democracy in the state.

    His words: Going by the scheduled election timetable, the party campaigns for the election have taken off and open politicking is gathering momentum.

    “On this note, I wish to appeal to the political parties and politicians/ contestants to exercise restraint in their pronouncements and avoid getting involved in verbal wars and inflammatory comments capable of igniting political tension and provoking rancour that could threaten the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.

    “The current political campaigns should record a significant improvement. It should be violent -free, issue-based, enriching and peaceful. It is my belief that a peaceful campaign exercise is a likely harbinger to the conduct of a peaceful election.”

    Agbaje, however, assured the stakeholders the readiness of the Commission to conduct a peaceful, transparent and credible and conclusive governorship election in the state.

  • LP, CPP, others get candidates

    The Ondo State governorship election holding on November 26 takes a proper shape at the weekend with some political parties announcing the names of their candidates.

    Some of the parties that named their candidates after the conclusion of their primaries are: the Labour Party (LP), Citizens Popular Party (CPP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)

    The LP elected Taye Adeuti as its governorship candidate with unanimous voice votes after the second aspirant, Gbenga Ojo, stood down.

    The CPP elected Peter Fasua as its standard-bearer.

    Fasua, a businessman and proprietor of a private college of education in the state emerged as the sole candidate presented by the party’s delegates through the option A-4 electoral system.

    The PRP picked businessman Chief Rowland Arigbede, as its candidate for the election.

    The primary election, which was held in Akure, the state capital, was contested by two aspirants.

  • Ofeimu battles Amos for LP ticket

    Two aspirants – Mr. Ofeimu Odia, a former Private Secretary to the late Premier of defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Pastor Amos Olelogbe – will today battle for the ticket of the Labour Party (LP) ahead of the September 10 governorship election.

    Over 150 delegates of the party are expected to participate in the party’s primaries.

    This came at the end of the party’s state congress where Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi was elected chairman.

    LP’s National Secretary, Julius Abure, who supervised the congress, said the party was on its way to take over the seat of power in Edo.

    He said: “The political development in Edo State landscape has crystalline. We all can see it without needing anybody, in some sense of extra-terrestrial knowledge, to tell us history.”