Gbajabiamila’s Replacement: Confusion As LP Fixes Friday As Deadline For Sale Of Form To Aspirants

Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State has declared Friday (tomorrow) as deadline for the sale of form to members aspiring to fly the party’s flag in the yet to be scheduled Surulere 1 Federal Constituency bye-election.

The LP State Publicity Secretary, Olubunmi Odesanya, disclosed this to THE WHISTLER on Thursday.

The seat became vacant after the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in June, tendered his resignation letter on the floor of the House, following his resumption of work as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.

It is unclear why the party is in a haste to conclude sale of form for the bye-election, even when the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has not officially announced the date for the election.

But according to Odesanya, the election has been fixed to hold on August 19, 2023.

“The sale of form closes on Friday,” she said. “INEC has fixed August 19 for the election.”

However, when contacted, Adenike Tadese, INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Lagos, said no specific date has been given for the election.

“The hqts (headquarters) of the Commission in Abuja has not given a specific date for the election. We take directives from our National Hqts pls,” Tadese told THE WHISTLER in a terse text message.

Meanwhile, the party’s state chairman, Pastor Dayo Ekong, some days ago, cautioned aspirants against purchasing form from a factional group of the party.

“I want to sound a note of warning because we know some people are parading themselves as Labour Party executives. There is only one Lagos State LP State Working Committee.

“If any aspirant falls prey and purchases form from these illegal groups, he or she does it at his or her own peril. Be warned, don’t fall victim to their antics,” Ekong had said.

LP, which gave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a run for their money in the last general elections, has been facing lots of challenges, especially with some of its former members being accused of betrayal and working against the party’s interest.

The party in April suspended indefinitely its immediate past chairman Kayode Salako and five others for anti-party activities in the 2023 general elections.

Others were Moshood Salvador (LP Senatorial Candidate, Lagos West), Mutiu Okunola (House of Rep candidate for Ikeja Federal Constituency), Theodore Ezeunara, Olumide Adesoyin and Opeyemi Taiwo.