Lagos LP guber candidate, Rhodes-Vivour, denies reports of factionalisation in party

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has denied claims of division and factionalisation within the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

Rhodes-Vivour made this assertion on Monday during an interview on AriseTV, monitored by Ripples Nigeria.

The Labour Party’s national leadership had issued a certificate of return to Rhodes-Viviour who won at the party’s substitution primary election in Lagos.

The party said the event put to rest the controversy surrounding their authentic candidate.

However, an embattled Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, described as “comedy” the event where the party’s national leaders issued a certificate of return to the “authentic” candidate.

He said the election that saw the emergence of Mr Rhodes-Vivour as the governorship candidate is “fraudulent.”

Mr Awamaridi described the certificate of return given to Mr Rhodes-Vivour, as a “piece of paper,” that is “unconstitutional and irrelevant.”

He reiterated that he remains the “substantive governorship candidate of the party” and no candidate should be presented whether by the party or the electoral body except in a case of withdrawal or death.

“I have not resigned, I have gone to court to make a declaration when I got this comedy and shenanigans,” he said.

“I went to court and made a declaration on oath that I have not withdrawn my candidature. I’m alive, I’m not dead.”

However, Rhodes-Vivour, in his reaction on Monday, debunked claims about factionalisation within the party.

He further noted that Amawaridi signed a form of withdrawal while the party organized a free and fair primary, witnessed by stakeholders within the polity.

Read also: 2023: Labour Party confirms Rhodes-Vivour as Lagos governorship candidate

“I am not a factional candidate because the questions should be asked: which faction produced the presidential candidates and the governorship candidates. The furore was because the National Chairman is yet to submit his signed withdrawal form to INEC.

“The primaries which I won was a fair process and was approved by INEC and covered by the media. The reason for this is due to placeholders presented by different stakeholders who signed withdrawals but unfortunately, he is going around claiming to be the candidate. But the party, INEC nor I is yet to receive any petition.

“The party is trying to bring him on board which is why they insisted there he signed a form of withdrawal,” Rhodes-Vivour noted.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now