Chairman of Labour Party Caucus in the House of Representatives, Rep. Afam Ogene, has blamed mass defections of lawmakers to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the former Chairman, Julius Abure’s leadership failure.

Ogene said this in an interview in Abuja on Friday.

He said that it was Abure’s intransigence that triggered mass defections to the ruling party.

“Politicians always plan for the next elections.

“Therefore, they have to leave in a hurry, but some of us who believe so much in the rule of law have to stay and contend with Abure for the good of the party,” he said.

The lawmaker, however, said that the Labour Party caucus was not diminished in spite of the defections.

Ogene, who assured of a stronger and better Labour Party, said that Abure’s tenure officially ended in June 2024.

He accused the former chairman of being selfish in his political pursuit, saying that this was not favourable to the party.

This, he said, led Abure into refusing to cede the chairmanship position to the North, as planned by the stakeholders.

The caucus chairman wondered how fair it would be for the party to field a southern presidential candidate under the watch of a southern national chairman.

He appealed to Nigerians to keep hope alive, assuring of a revived and formidable Labour Party.

The lawmaker affirmed the viability of Labour Party as an opposition political party, saying that Peter Obi had remained the only formidable opposition voice.

Ogene reiterated the resilience of the caucus to continue to bring the ruling party into check for a transparent and accountable democracy.

He assured Nigerians of the party’s commitment to constitutional democracy through constructive opposition. (NAN)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, on Friday, rejected the resignation of its Publicity Secretary, Mr Kennedy Peretei.

The state leadership of the party, led by Dr Bakitta Bello, the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Ondo State, visited the publicity Secretary in Akure.

Report says that Peretei on Wednesday tendered his resignation letter to the party in his ward in Arogbo Ward 1 in Êse Odo Local Government Area of the state, citing selfish leadership as a cause of his resignation.

Bello told Peretei that the recent happenings in the party in the state were not sufficient enough to make him resign his membership and therefore prevailed on him to reconsider his resignation.

“Yes, you have the right to feel offended if you need to. But you must also understand as an experienced politician that a combination of factors are always responsible for any particular action or resolution of a political party.

“You are a true party man and that is the reason we have come to make you change your mind.

“You have to rescind your decision to quit the party because we are not accepting your resignation letter,” he said.

Earlier on, the State Publicity Secretary had told the committee members why he took such decision to quit the party, saying that he felt betrayed and disappointed by the attitude of some persons whom he held in high esteem.(NAN)

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has scheduled the state council election for July 12.

Mr Tope Ojo, LASIEC’s Head of Public Affairs, made this announcement on Friday in Lagos.

He revealed that the election for 57 council chairmanship positions and 376 councillor seats will take place on July 12.

Lagos State comprises 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

The election date was chosen to avoid a leadership vacuum in the state’s councils.

LASIEC’s notice confirmed that the election will include 20 Local Governments, 37 LCDAs, and 376 wards.

With the current local government administration nearing its end, LASIEC has ramped up efforts for a smooth election process.

The commission has officially launched the electoral process with the release of the Notice of Election.

Political parties must visit the LASIEC headquarters to obtain nomination forms for their candidates.

Ojo confirmed that a meeting with all registered political parties is set for Tuesday.

“The Election Guidelines will be published on April 17,” Ojo added.

According to him, campaigns and rallies will start on April 18 and end on July 9.

Nomination Forms for “substituted” and “only candidate” submissions must be submitted between June 18 and June 25.

LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (rtd), assured a fair and level playing field for all political parties.

He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to holding a free, fair, inclusive, and credible election.

Okikiolu-Ighile encouraged political parties and aspirants to strictly follow the electoral timetable. (NAN)