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The Lagos State Labour Party gubernatorial candidate during the 2023 elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said the Federal Government lacks the direction and policies needed to lift Nigerians out of hardship.
Rhodes-Vivour made this statement at a stakeholders meeting of the party held in Alausa, Ikeja Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.
The LP chieftain lamented that although Nigerians participated in the 2023 elections with hopes for a better country, their expectations were dashed by the policies of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, which he said have caused suffering among the masses.
According to him, Nigerians must be encouraged not to give up on the country.
He said, “It is very painful and more so because, for the first time, so many Nigerians came together to participate in an election, yet it seems there’s no policy or clear direction to bring Nigerians out of their problems.
“All we can do right now is to encourage Nigerians not to give up on the Nigerian dream and to remind them that, with the right leadership, Nigeria will improve.
“We have seen the consequences of poor leadership, so perhaps it is time to choose people who have demonstrated love for their people, those who can prioritise their people, not themselves, their families, or their cronies.”
Speaking on the leadership crisis facing the LP, Rhodes-Vivour noted that the stakeholders’ meeting was an opportunity to unite all warring members of the party in preparation for upcoming elections.
“There is no political party that does not face issues. We see what’s happening with the APC and the PDP, and it’s the same in the Labour Party. But what is most important is that we are willing to come together and find a political solution to resolve whatever issues we are facing.
“Every time you hear about LP recently, it has been in a negative light. But now, we are not fighting and are happy to celebrate together. We don’t want a divided house because a divided house cannot stand. This is not a one-off event, but the beginning of frequent meetings to build a much more robust political party,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Lagos State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Gbenga Ekundayo, noted that beyond political activities, the party is committed to building a country that will work for future generations.
However, he lamented that the Nigeria Labour Congress had been sidelined in the party’s affairs in recent times.
Ekundayo said, “This is a step in the right direction. The Labour movement, in the past, has not been included in the party’s workings and internal activities, which is why our members could not move forward with the party. But I hope that with this, we will be able to unite as Nigerians and as people with a common future to consider what can truly work for the people.
“Beyond politics and politicking, we must remember that we have a country to build and a future to prepare for, if not for ourselves, then for the generation coming behind us, to engage in the contestation of ideas, principles, and processes that can move us forward as a people.”
The Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Francis Igbokwe, added that the party would work together to position itself as the alternative for Nigerians ahead of 2027.
“LP is the alternative political party, and the only way we can achieve this is through peace. Whatever it will take us to achieve this, from the state to the national level, we must do it. We want to be a formidable party ahead of 2027,” Igbokwe disclosed.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja had on Tuesday affirmed Julius Abure’s position as the National Chairman of the LP.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, had in a ruling, issued an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to validate and recognise the Abure-led leadership of the party.
The court also validated the March 2024 Nnewi national convention of the party that produced the Abure-led executive.
