By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Barely three days to the Saturday, 18 March, 2023 Governorship and State Assembly Elections, the Gubernatorial Candidate of the Labour Party(LP) in Kwara State, Comrade Basambo Abubakar has been suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
Also suspended on Tuesday, 13 March, 2023, alongside the Gubernatorial Candidate were five other members.
The suspended Governorship Candidate and his alleged accomplices were sanctioned for alleged anti-party activities and disseminating misleading information to voters.
Basambo’s sin was announcing on Monday, 13 March, 2023, that the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have joined forces to face the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s elections.
Abubakar’s action, gave the impression that he had collapsed his structures in support of the PDP Governorship Candidate, Yahman Shuaib Abdullahi.
The LP Chairman in the state, Comrade Kehinde Rotimi told journalists in Ilorin, the state capital on Tuesday, 14 March, 2023, that the party has not partnered with any other political party, adding that the suspended LP Governorship Candidate broke party rules.
“We are here to set the record straight. The Labour Party is a political party with an ideology, based on social justice and equality. The Labour Party had not adopted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kwara state, Shuaib Yaman Abdullahi, as said by Basambo Abubakar. He has no authority to issue such a statement on behalf of the party,” Rotimi said.
“We are 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 the governorship election against the wishes of our Presidential Candidate.
“So, we are not adopting PDP candidates under any guise. Whoever has done so, has done so at his own risk,” LP chairman added
He urged members of the public to disregard the information because it is misleading and incorrect, asserting that “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 will not negotiate.”
According to LP Chairman, Abubakar has the right of freedom of association but the party remains resolute and committed to its ideology and has not adopted any governorship candidate or aligned forces with any political party in the state.
