The Lagos State chapters of the Labour Party and the African Action Congress have disclosed the reason behind the omission of their senatorial and House of Representatives candidates on the final list of candidates for the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Speaking with our correspondent, the state Chairman of the Labour Party, Olukayode Salako, explained that the party’s candidates were omitted from the list because a former chairman of the party, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, did not submit them to INEC at the appropriate time.
He, however, assured residents that the party’s National Assembly candidates would still make the Independent National Electoral Commission list before voters go to the polls as they were already in court to address the issue.
The final list of candidates for national elections published on the commission’s website on September 1 showed that the LP and five other parties in Lagos State did not have candidates for the National Assembly polls.
The parties are Action Alliance, All Peoples Party, African Action Congress, All Progressive Grand Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, Labour Party, and Peoples Redemption Party.
But Salako said, “The former chairman of the party, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, did not present the names. He went there (INEC) late and the window closed. We are considering the court option and we will soon have the names of our candidates in the process. It is through the courts that our candidates will be uploaded (on INEC’s website).”
“Whether we campaign or not, the Labour Party is forming the next government in Lagos. This is because Lagos residents and Nigerians as a whole are looking for a fresh platform where Nigeria will be run better for the generality of the citizens. There is a revolution going on in the hearts of people; people are tired of the APC, and that revolution is already campaigning for us.”
Meanwhile, the state Chairman of the African Action Congress, Ayoyinka Oni, said the party did not field senatorial and House of Representatives candidates because it did not want to allow moneybags to use the platform for personal political gains.
“A lot of money bags were already lining up to use our party as the second opportunity in case they failed in their parties. We blocked all avenues because we don’t have such a culture,” he added.