The gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in Kwara state, Comrade Basambo Abubakar has been suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
Also suspended on Tuesday alongside the guber candidate were five other members.
This is coming barely three days to the March 18 governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
The suspended governorship candidate and his alleged accomplices were sanctioned for alleged anti-party activities and disseminating misleading information to voters.
Basambo fell into trouble after he announced on Monday that the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party have joined forces to face the ruling All Progressives Congress in next Saturday’s elections.
By implication, the development gave the impression that Basambo Abubakar had collapsed his structures in support of the PDP governorship candidate, Yahman Shuaib Abdullahi.
Comrade Kehinde Rotimi, the Labour Party chairman in Kwara state, informed journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday that the party has not partnered with any other political party.
According to him, the suspended Labour Party governorship candidate broke party rules.
He said, “We are here to set the record straight. The Labour Party is a political party with an ideology, based on social justice and equality. The Labour Party had not adopted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kwara state, Shuaib Yaman Abdullahi, as said by Basambo Abubakar. He has no authority to issue such a statement on behalf of the party.
“We are 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 the governorship election against the wishes of our presidential candidate.
“So, we are not adopting PDP candidates under any guise. Whoever has done so, has done so at his own risk.”
Rotimi urged members of the public to disregard the information because it is misleading and incorrect, asserting that “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 will not negotiate.”
The chairman said Basambo Abubakar has the right of freedom of association but the party remains resolute and committed to its ideology and has not adopted any governorship candidate or aligned forces with any political party in the state.
