The Labour Party (LP) in Ogun state has described the forthcoming local government election in the state as a referendum on the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
According to LP, APC has impoverished the people of the state and created so much pains, misery and hunger in the land.
LP said that the people of the state had bee yearning for a change and, as a third force, the party was in a vantage position to provide the populace with the needed change and purposeful and developmental leadership at the grassroot.
According to a statement by LP’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Tokunbo Peters, the party made these assertions over the weekend at a workshop organised in Abeokuta, the state capital, for its chairmanship and councillorship candidates in the local government election scheduled for 16 November.
The state chairman of the party, Engr Lookman Abiodun Jagun disclosed that LP would be fielding candidates to contest the chairmanship and councillorship elections in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the state. Amongst the candidates for the chairmanship are Comrade Afolabi Oluwafemi Thomas, the party’s flag bearer for Obafemi Owode Local Government Area; Comrade Esuola Oluwagbenga (Ifo), Comrade Okusanya Akinola Olalekan (Ijebu North) and Comrade Olubowale Obaloluwa Ayo (Ado Odo/Ota).
Other candidates are Comrade Idowu Omololu Olugbenga (Abeokuta North), Comrade Arikewuyo Ismaila (Sagamu), Comrade Mustapha Ayoola Ishola (Yewa South), Comrade Rasheed Abiodun Lateef (Ijebu East), Comrade Akinola Gabriel (Ipokia), and Comrade Alani Elijah Juwan (Ewekoro).
Jagun charged all the candidates to go all out and embark on vigorous grassroot campaign in all the nooks and crannies of their respective constituencies. He enjoined them to spread the message of change, the social welfare programmes of the party, selfless service, grassroot development and inspiring leadership which are the hallmarks of LP.
He said that the focus of the party would be on bringing unprecedented development to the grassroots by focusing on the construction and maintenance of drainages and rural roads, delivering quality primary education and health services. He assured that the party’s government at the third tier would prioritise agriculture by providing mechanise equipment and improved seedlings for farmers.
The party’s Legal Adviser, Barrister Oluwafemi Ibiayo and the Organising Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Adewuni, who took turns to admonish the candidates to monitor and protect their votes during the voting process and collation exercise because of the underhand activities which the ruling party was well known for. The candidates were advised to engage trusted, loyal, dedicated and faithful party men as polling unit agents and collation agents for the electoral exercise.
The chairmanship candidates thanked the party for finding them worthy to fly the party flag at the polls, and promised to work tirelessly to win the election in their various local government areas.
