…says LP’ll win Lagos in 2027

Pastor (Dr) Mrs Adedayo Ekong, Chairperson of the Lagos State Chapter of the Labour Party, has urged Nigerians to disregard claims suggesting that the party is factionalised. In an interview with OLADIPUPO AWOJOBI, Ekong clarified that the recent Supreme Court judgement has been widely misunderstood, stressing that Julius Abure remains the officially recognised National Chairman of the Labour Party. Pastor Ekong also expressed confidence that the party would make a significant impact in the upcoming local government elections in Lagos State. Excerpts:

The Labour Party recently conducted primary election for the Lagos State local governments elections, how prepared is the party for the polls?

We are well prepared, and we are very optimistic because we have competent and capable people for the election. People who have made impact in their local governments, and even their wards. So, we are prepared for it so that we can have a change in this country. It’s not about holding on to title or position, but being able to serve the people, and that is what Labour Party stands for. We are very prepared for the election and we are doing the needful to make sure that all our candidates make impact in whatever positions there are vying for.

Is your party contesting in all the 20 Local Governments and 37 LCDAs in the state?

Yes, we are all over the local governments and LCDAs. We have our candidates all in the 20 local governments and in the 37 LCDAs.

There are still issues in the Labour Party in Nigeria, is the party one in Lagos State?

Labour Party is one under my leadership in Lagos State, I don’t see any other faction. Those coming out are only doing so to cause confusion and do the bidding of their masters, which would not be tolerated. As far as I am concerned, there is only one leader in Lagos State under my leadership. When people come up to talk about factions, I am surprised. I was surprised when some people came out a few days ago to say we have four factions of the Labour Party in Lagos State, how can this be? There is no way any faction can surface from nowhere during election when they have not been feasible before now. We know the motives behind this and we are not going to allow anybody to jeopardise the chances of our candidates in winning this election because Labour Party remains very strong and we are the main opposition as far as the Nigerian politics is concerned. All the issues of factions are nothing. We are not even looking at that though slight issues were made out of it, we know why they are doing it and it’s not going to happen. The Labour Party would go into the election fully prepared.

We know there are issues at the national level of the Labour Party with the Supreme Court saying that Julius Abure is not the National Chairman of the party and we hear about Caretaker Committee and what have you; what’s the position now?

The Supreme Court did not say that Barrister Julius Abure is not the National Chairman of Labour Party. What the Apex Court said was that the high court shouldn’t have made a pronouncement because the affairs of the party is internal and that the party is being governed by its constitution. Every party has its unique constitution and anything that concerns the party’s constitution is what they adhere to. So, the misinterpretation to say that Supreme Court has set Abure’s leadership aside is wrong, then who is the current National Chairman if they say he is not? Barrister Julius Abure has been the National Chairman of Labour Party from inception and he is still in office. The results of the party’s recent governorship primary election in Anambra State was uploaded by Julius Abure. So, I don’t understand what they are saying. Some people think that they are now in positions and they want to trample on the leadership of the party, it will not happen. That is what we are saying, people have to learn that there is a structure in place and it was the structure that brought them to where they are today. For them to now say they want to destroy the structure for their selfish ambitions, I don’t think it’s right and I don’t think people would support that. The leadership of Labour Party is still under Barrister Abure and that’s the person the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognises; caretaker committee from where and how? Some of these people are not even members of the Labour Party. The Supreme Court never said that Abure is not the Chairman of the Labour Party. They said that we should go back to the constitution of the party. They said that the high court has no right to pronounce the judgment it did. At the end of the day, they said the constitution and the leadership of the party would decide how the party would go. Some people that are planning congress now, under whose leadership or authority are they doing that? That is the big question we need to answer.

Your party won the presidential election in Lagos State in 2023 and came second in the governorship election in the state, but some people are saying that the party is also thinking of coalition now. So, how is your party preparing for the 2027 general elections in the state?

We are preparing by His grace and we have a formidable team. However, our winning in Lagos State in 2023 was not the handiwork of one person or a group. A lot of people that are making noise don’t even have voters cards. We are talking about the Labour Party being a masses party, being the party that is sympathetic to the masses. What happened in Lagos State in 2023 was that the masses came out and voted massively for our party and it would happen again and again because people are tired of what is going on in the country. So, these issues that we have now had been there before the election and we made it happen. People’s votes would also speak at the end of the day.

What would your party have done differently if they had won the governorship of Lagos State in 2023 and would you say you would win the election in 2027?

We have gone to the drawing board to see where the lapses are and where we didn’t get it right. We will look into everything and we are working on it. By 2027, Labour Party will win Lagos State.

Will the Labour Party go into coalition with other parties for the 2027 Presidential Elections?

I am not the National Chairman of the party, and this has been addressed before. I would reserve that for the national body of the party. If they think it’s of any benefit to us, they might do it and if they think it is not of any benefit, then they won’t. When we are talking of coalition, it’s bigger than what people are just saying because so many things have to be put into consideration when you are doing coalition and I wouldn’t want to talk about that.

How has it been for you as a woman in a terrain dominated by men, and how have you been able to cope as the Chairman of the Labour Party in Lagos State as a woman?

Without mincing words, it has not been an easy thing, especially in a patriarchal society like Nigeria. But the truth of the matter is that what is weighing people down in Nigeria is more than whether you are a man or woman. We are no more in the old times that it has to be a man that should be there. I know that some men may believe that they can do better, but when a woman handles something, the commitment and resilience are there. The dedication and drive are there. I have the drive, I have encountered a lot of hurdles, but by the grace of God, He has brought me out of it better.

So, you have not had issues of sexual harassment from your male counterparts?

Of course, there is sexual harassment there; if I tell you it’s not there, then I’m lying, but I will not dwell on that because I am a leader and as a leader there are certain things you see, you manage them and put them under control. Women are being harassed in this country on a daily basis, that is why Nigeria has not lived up to the expectations of the United Nations that women should form 35% of the people in government. We are at the bottom of the ladder in the world, but we will continue to forge ahead, and we will continue to encourage women who have the competence and capacity to forge ahead and come out to be leaders that would make impact in the society. That is what we are saying, I have realised that when women are in positions, they are compassionate and they would put their best into it to make sure that they achieve results.