BY: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| The stakeholders of Labour Party, Badagry local governments |
The Labour Party members of Badagry local governments have rejected the imposition of an unknown person as the House of Representatives candidate for Badagry constituency.
The party chieftain disclosed that at a press briefing held at Ibereko on Sunday. Where the party categorically stated that the recognized candidates are: Hon. Sewanu Jayesimi for Badagry Constituency I and Hon. Efe Omoya for Badagry Constituency II.
Stating clearly that the party will not allow any form of imposition from the state leaders and that if the party leaders are not careful, this could affect the outcome of the election.
In his speech, Comrade Mark Akande, Chairman, of Labour Party Badagry Local Government, said, "Good day, people of Badagry, Lagos State, and Nigeria. We are sending greetings from Badagry local government.
"Today, the stakeholders of the Labour Party across Badagry decided to gather and make a statement about the sudden imposition of an unknown candidate forced on us here in Badagry.
"Since April 2022, we have been working with Hon. Sewanu Jayesimi for Badagry Constituency I and Hon. Efe Omoya for Badagry Constituency II. Six days before the election that was later postponed, a list of ghost candidates was paraded from the Labor Party secretariat, stating that they were the people representing Badagry's two constituencies.
"I want to make it categorically clear as the chairman of the Labor Party in Badagry and as one of the leaders of the party, that we do not know "any" Hon. Okoya Ashafa, who has never attended any meeting or associated himself with the Labor Party in Badagry.
"We don't know where he lives nor have his contact information; he is not even a member of the Labour Party. No ward chairman here can say Hon. Okoya Ashafa or Hon. Ajani Olanrewaju belongs to the Labour Party in their ward or zone, so, we are using this opportunity to pass a message to our leaders, for them to hear our cry. We are appalled at them because they are our state leaders and should do the right thing.
"We, the stakeholders, in Badagry, have confidence in our representatives; Hon. Sewanu Jayesimi for Badagry Constituency I and Hon. Efe Omoya for Badagry Constituency II. These are the candidates we can boldly say have worked within their constituencies, and related with the people, both the youths and the elders of the party want them.
"We are crying out as a party so that we won't be shortchanged in Badagry; we don't want a situation where it would be said that the Labour Party in Badagry is not united. We don't want a situation where our vote will be given to another party. All we want is support for our accepted candidates."
Margaret Adetutu Babatunde, a party stakeholder, also said, "This is the party that will change Nigeria for the better; our suffering is too much. I plead with everyone to remember the future of their children during the coming election. This party is ready to make the future of your children better."
Margaret added that "We don't want people we don't know; we know how long we have been building this party, and we only know those who have been working with us. We are ready to work with the governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; we have also accepted Efe Omoya and Sewanu Jayesimi.
We are pleading with our party leaders not to allow strange people to spoil our good work in Badagry. If you impose someone we don't know on us, we are not going to vote, and we won't allow the leaders to give our vote to another person; we must eat the fruit of our labor."
Grace Edigbue Esq, the secretary of the Labour Party in Badagry local government, said, "I want to join my voice to that of the leaders of the Labour Party in Badagry in stating that this is a party of truth and sincerity. We are not ready for anything that will distract us from the truth.
She further stated that "What we are saying is that from the beginning, we have been working with people we know as candidates in Badagry. We know our principal, Peter Obi, and Lagos State governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, as well as those working with us in Badary Constituencies I and II. It is surprising to us that strange names we've never heard of are being paraded as the candidates."
We are here to state vehemently that we reject them, that we don't want them, and that no one is standing for them here. The people we know as our representatives are: Sawanu Jayesimi, who represents Badagry Constituency I, and Efe Omoya, who represents Badagry Constituency II. They have been working with us since the beginning of this activity. We want everyone in Badagry to vote for them and stand by them. Ensure that your vote is counted and uploaded to the server before you leave the polling unit," Edigbue added.
Efe Omoya, the candidate for House of Assembly Badagry Constituency II, said in his address to the press, "I appreciate the confidence you all have in me to have pushed me this far, and I want to assure you that by March 18, 2023, we are all going to smile."
"I did not come to this race because I see people doing it, but, because of my passion for people. I don't like seeing people suffer, be ineffective, or go through problems that can be solved. I have gone through several communities in Badagry, I have interacted with the people on the street and in the villages, and I know their challenges: the bad roads, electricity, intimidations, economic hardships, and several other challenges people go through in this local government."
He said he sees himself as a person with the capacity and competency to bring solutions to all the challenges facing Badagry people. And "that is why I am contesting for House Assembly District II. There is something enshrined in me that I need to deliver to the people, we want to light up the streets in Badagry, connect the roads, and also improve vocational education for the youths; not just the vocation alone because a hungry man cannot learn. We should be able to pay them while they are learning, and I believe our Lagos State can achieve that."
"I also intend to implement several youth engagements in sports; various competitions would be organized to showcase the young talents. International experts would be invited, and sponsorship would be provided to train the talented youths abroad. God bless the Labour Party. God bless Nigeria,"Omoya added.