THE national leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has announced Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as its gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, for the 2023 elections.
The party said that anyone who felt cheated can seek redress in any competent court of law.
Abayomi Arabambi, the National Publicity Secretary, stated this today while presenting Rhodes-Vivour a certificate of return in Lagos State on behalf of the party.
There had been arguments over who was the authentic governorship candidate of party in the state, with its Chairman, Ifagbami Awamaridi, insisting that he was the right man for the race because he won the primaries and his name was published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Moshood Salvador, a former All Progress Congress (APC) member, had also claimed in July that the LP had given him its ticket to run as governorship candidate in Lagos State in the 2023 general election.
But while unveiling Rhodes-Vivour on Tuesday, Arabambi described Awamaridi as a placeholder, reiterating that a substitution primary was held and that the party had completed all relevant documentation with INEC regarding its new candidate.
He said: “For a candidate for election to emerge in a political party, it has to go through a constitutional process.
“The emergence of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as the 2023 Lagos state governorship candidate followed laws and guidelines
“Awamaridi was the chairman of the LP Lagos State Caretaker Committee at one point.
“He was made a placeholder; his name was submitted since Lagos LP was yet to finally conclude the required processes.”
Arabambi added that the placeholder status given to Awamaridi was one from which he formally tendered an official resignation.
