“The Story Is Fake, No Mass Defection In South West” – LP

The Labour Party, LP, has debunked the story that there was a mass defection of its members in the South-west to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

The purported defection and collapse of structures allegedly took place in Ondo State after a meeting.

But in a statement on Monday, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Arabambi Abayomi, the party said there was nothing like that. It said there was no such meeting and, therefore, no such mass defection of members to anywhere.

The Party said the so-called meeting, attended by a few people, was chaired by Mr Banji Omotoso, an expelled member of the Party. Omotoso, it disclosed, was expelled from the Party in 2020. “…the so-credit Southwest Coodinator, Mr Banji Omotoso is an expelled member of the Party, who since 2020, has ceased to have anything whatsoever to do with our great Party.”

The statement, also, added that: “The entire Labour Party of Nigeria has never been at anytime and will under no circumstances ever think of merging with any other Party, not even the All Progressives Congress (APC), that has brought untold hardship and surffering to the entire nation.”

The statement reads:

“The attention of the Labour Party in Nigeria especially  has been drawn to a purported meeting/defection held at Adegbemile hall, Akure, today Monday 13th February 2023 at noon.

“The meeting attended by about a few dozen people alledged that the entire Southwest Labour Party has been merged with the All Progressive Congress (APC) with effect from today. As expected, the meeting was chaired by an expelled Labour Party member, Mr. Banji Omotoso, who was the then caretaker state chairman in Ekiti state from 2017 to 2019.

“The Labour party here by states as follows

“1. That the labour party of Nigeria in the Southwest and entire Nigeria remains one and an indivisible party.

“2. That the entire Labour Party of Nigeria has never at anytime and will under no circumstances ever think of merging with any other Party, not even the All Progressives Congress (APC) that has brought untold hardship and surffering to the entire nation.

“3. That the so-called Southwest coodinator Mr. Banji Omotoso was an expelled member of the party, who since January 2020 has ceased to have anything whatsoever to do with our great Party.

“4. That the said Mr. Banji Omotoso was expelled for gross malfeasance and anti-party activities. Therefore he has no authority from any quarters to speak for or on behalf of the Labour Party in South West

“5 That Labour party highest office holder in the party structures nationally is the Deputy National Chairman^^ South of the party and number 2 person to the National Chairman remains^ Alhaji Lamidi Apapa from Oyo State  with others :

” Bar AKINGBADE OYELEKAN^ ( National Legal adviser OSUN STATE )

“Dr AYO OLORUNFEMI ( DEPUTY NATIONAL^ CHAIRMAN from ONDO STATE)

“MR ROLAND GBENGA DARAMOLA ( National Financial Secretary from^ EKITI STATE)

“DR ARABAMBI ABAYOMI ( NATIONAL PUBLICITY^ SECRETARY from OGUN STATE)

“6. That we strongly make it clear to the general public and well-meaning long-suffering citizens of Nigeria to disregard any information from the said Mr. Banji Omotoso who has since ceased to be our member (LABOUR PARTY).”