Basambo Abubakar, the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the March 18 election in Kwara State, has been suspended for anti-party activities and “betrayal of trust”.
Chairman of the party in the State, Comrade Kehinde Rotimi, announced his suspension on Tuesday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
Abubakar, a former aide to former Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, had told newsmen on Monday that the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state agrred to align and work together in the March 18 governorship elections in the state, and hope to form a unity government after governorship election victory.
But the State Chairman of the LP, who addressed newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital alongside leaders, candidates, support groups and members of the party, denied any form of alliances with any political party in the state.
Rotimi,,who insisted that the suspended governorship candidate acted unilaterally, enjoined members of the public to disregard the statement credited to its governorship candidate.
“We’re here to set the record straight. Labour Party is a political party with an ideology, based on social justice and equality. Labour Party had not adopted the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Shuaib Yaman Abdullahi, as said by Basambo Abubakar. He has no such authority to issue such a statement on behalf of the party.
“We’re 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 governorship election against the wish of our presidential candidate”, he said.
Rotimi also said that the presidential candidate of the party had at no time mandated the party to work for PDP or any other political party in Nigeria. So, we’re not adopting PDP candidates under any guise. Whoever has done so, had done so at his own risk.
“We call on members of the public to disregard the information because it is misleading and incorrect. 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’ll not negotiate.
“Basambo Abubakar has the right of freedom of association but we remain resolute and committed to our ideology and we’ve not adopted any governorship candidate or aligned our forces with any political party in the state.
“The National and State Working Committee of the Labour Party has ratified his suspension till further notice and henceforth he should not be related with as a member of the Labour Party”, he added.
