LAGOS LP: NEW FRONTIERS, FRESH PLOTS
The 2011 general elections are drawing closer, and every political party worth its name is working hard to make an impressive outing or at least get a slice of the many political offices that are up for grabs.
In Lagos State, the Labour Party(LP) is not left out of the push. As part of its preparations, the party recently commissioned its state secretariat. Those in the know believe the decision of the party to establish a new secretariat is part of its strategy to attract political big wigs who may be desirous of pursuing their 2011 political dream under the LP. The party's secretariat before now was located in the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) office in Yaba.
The LP was registered in 2002 as the Party for Social Democracy (PSD); it later changed its name to Labour Party(LP) during its convention in 2004. Daily Sun reliably gathered that by taking its secretariat outside the NLC premises, the party's top hierarchy in Abuja is seeking to convince influential politicians in the state that LP is not only for the labour movement.
Speaking at the opening of the new secretariat at Ebute-Metta, Lagos, the National Chairman Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, said the party is poised to give the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), a big fight for the state governorship seat in the 2011 elections. The ACN had been the ruling party in Lagos in the past 12 years, considering that ACN is an offshoot of Alliance for Democracy (AD) albeit under different names. Nwanyanwu said Lagos State being a very strategic state in the country is very important.
He said that for his party to displace the ruling party in the state it has to work very hard. Consequently, he charged members of the party to immediately embark on mass mobilization of members and marketing of its manifesto to the electorate in the state. The LP leader reminded party faithfuls present at the event that about 90 per cent Nigerians do not belong to any political party. He said those Nigerians are the ones to decide the fate of any political party in the election. He implored LP members to reach out to these Nigerians and convince them on the need to vote for the party.
He informed the gathering of the exploits the LP controlled government in Ondo is making, stating that this is what they want to replicate in Lagos state and across the length and breadth of Nigeria. 'We are coming to Lagos to start a new thing. I can promise you that if we work very hard, you will have members in the state House of Assembly, National Assembly and even the Government House. But we have to go and do door to door campaign,' he stated.
He said the party's programmes for the 2011 elections in the state would commence with congresses to choose the leaders of the party. It will be followed by the nomination of party candidates for the various elective positions.
The LP leader said all those interested in being elected as the party's candidate for the various positions must start working hard to convince the delegates to support their aspiration.
He said the party would not impose any candidate as the candidate of the party. According to him, neither the National Chairman nor any party executive at any level would be able to impose a candidate on the people.
Similarly, the state LP chairman, Mr. Adedeji Arije said the LP would usher in an inclusive and socially responsible government if it wins the next governorship election.
' When LP rules Lagos State, its development programmes and projects will have a human face, and will be sustainable ones', Arije stated. Reiterating his party's desire to win the next general election in the state, Arije described Lagos as a mini Nigeria and the melting pot of all in the socio-economic and political life of the nation.
He warned those who may want to infiltrate its rank in order to derail it from achieving its political goals in the state next year to steer clear of the party. Any attempts to infiltrate our ranks and cause confusion and disaffection will be a rendezvous with futility.
We are determined to overcome any difficulty in our path. The LP will achieve its goal of bringing about good governance in Lagos State.'