Ondo State chapter of Labour Party (LP) has denied collapsing its structure into the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that the man parading himself as Chairman of South West APC had been expelled from the party since 2020.

This was made known by Chairman of LP in Ondo, Chief (Mrs.) Remilekun Ojo, in response to the claim that South West LP had been collapsed into APC.

Banji Omotoso, who claimed to be South West LP Chairman, had alleged that South West chapter of LP, yesterday, collapsed its structure into the APC ahead of the coming general elections.

He said the move became imperative following “the dim prospect of Peter Obi winning the February 25 poll.”

Ojo stated: “The attention of the Labour Party of Nigeria, especially the Ondo State chapter, has been drawn to a purported meeting/defection held at Adegbemile Hall, Akure, on Monday, February 13, 2023 by noon.”

The meeting, according to her, was attended by about a few dozen people and chaired by an expelled LP member, Banji Omotoso, who was the caretaker chairman in Ekiti from 2017 to 2019.

Ondo LP under the leadership of Ojo stated: “The LP in the South West and entire Nigeria remains one and an indivisible party. It has never, at anytime and will, under no circumstance, ever think of merging with any other party, not even the APC that has brought untold hardship and suffering to the entire nation.

The so-called South West coordinator, Mr. Banji Omotoso, was expelled since January 2020 and has ceased to have anything whatsoever to do with our great party. Omotoso was expelled for gross malfeasance and anti-party activities. Therefore, he has no authority from any quarter, to speak for or on behalf of LP in Ondo.”

The party urged the general public and well-meaning long-suffering citizens of Nigeria to disregard any information from Omotoso, as he has since ceased to be a member of LP.

Prior to the rebuttal by LP, Omotoso, who was a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of LP, stressed that the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu, is the most prepared for the country’s top job.

He said: “The Labour Party presently is a shaky platform for anybody to contest. I don’t know Peter Obi, and I am less concerned about him than I am about those who are celebrating LP’s mediocrity within Nigeria.

So, we leaders of LP in the South West decided to leave the party because we have a lot of mediocre performance there, and what they are looking for is money; they are not ready to serve Nigeria.
“I collapsed the structure of the party in Ekiti State. So, I don’t know how Obi can come now and embarrass us here in the South West. We are the pillars of that party in the South West, and we have pulled down the structure today.”
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