The Lagos State Labour Party governorship substitution primary which took place on Wednesday, August 10, saw Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour emerge winner of the exercise to become the party’s governorship candidate in the state. In this interview with MAYOWA SAMUEL, the former chieftain Peoples Democratic Party speaks on his victory and his plans to win next year’s governorship election.
Congratulations on your victory as the Lagos State Labour Party governorship candidate ahead of the 2023 election, although not without controversy. The primary was shifted from Monday to Wednesday last week due to alleged irregularities. How do you feel about the outcome of the election and its rejection by your challenger, Moshood Salvador?
I believe that I’ve been in politics for some time and I’ve not seen a process fairer than the process that the Labour Party put together for the substitution primary. It was an extremely fair and transparent election. I’m very proud of the Labour Party for doing that, despite some miscreants trying to cause some problems. In terms of rejection of results, I want to believe that with time, Alhaji Salvador will think and reflect on it and I think that he will do the right thing.
Salvador complained about over-voting at that primary. Did you notice any such thing going by your own calculation?
There was no such thing as over-voting. How was that possible? You can count the votes; it was 111 to 102, a difference of nine votes.
When you add them together, it’s 213. Total delegates that were supposed to vote were 215. So how can you say that’s over-voting?
What about the controversy between Christiana and Christian?
That Christian was a man’s name, and the fact of the matter was that each delegate had a vote. It’s very unfortunate because I expect people to be sportsmanly. That election was free and fair.
How about Ifagbemi Awamaridi who is not only still claiming to be the party chairman, but is still calling himself the party’s governorship candidate in the state duly recognised by INEC and insisting he has not withdrawn to allow for any substitution primary?
I saw that he had written an affidavit. He’s somebody I’m going to reach out to and see how we can tidy our house and get him involved in the campaign process but at the same time, INEC was there to monitor the exercise. INEC is the umpire, so if they were there, it’s because they had reason to be there and on Friday, names were submitted to INEC. So, if they allowed us to do it, it’s because they saw reasons for us to submit names. So, if he wrote affidavits, it is okay but it was without doubt that when he submitted his nomination form, he also wrote a withdrawal letter because that position was a placeholder position and the Secretariat would not have taken those nominations without a withdrawal letter because they had it in mind that these were placeholders. That’s why we could have a rancour free primary. The party will tell you, they have no record of Mr. Ifagbemi paying for his form, he didn’t pay N15 million for his expression of interest, they have no record of him doing that. The arrangement was a place holder arrangement, that’s why when people then came on board, they wanted to contest they had to pay for forms to the tune of N15 million, they had to show seriousness. So, it’s very difficult for you to tell a party that you nominated yourself even though at the time, his tenure as chairman had expired. It’s unfortunate that he had gone on this route. Many people have tried to talk to him and engage him but it’s just not been successful.
“It’s very difficult for you to tell a party that you nominated yourself even though at the time, his tenure as chairman had expired. It’s unfortunate that he had gone on this route. Many people have tried to talk to him and engage him but it’s just not been successful”
INEC says there was no provision for place holders in the electoral act…
That’s what we call it because that’s what it is. INEC will tell you they don’t recognise it but just because they don’t recognise it does not mean it doesn’t exist. We know that in the party, Doyin Okupe was listed as the vice presidential candidate to our flag bearer and leader, Peter Obi. INEC does not recognise that but Mr. Okupe recognised that he was a place holder and when they had concluded plans for a vice presidential candidate, he withdrew. Whether INEC says they want to recognise this arrangement, it’s a fixed time, just to find people for these positions. You make negotiations, it is a lot of work. INEC has its own strict timetable and if you have to force these arrangements in those times, sometimes you might not be the best person for the job. So, you just get somebody that you can trust to hold forth until a decision is made on the right candidate they want to work with.
There had been a controversy regarding who is the authentic chairman of the party with three persons laying claim to the seat. Ifagbemi Awamaridi was at a point, laying claim to the party. At the declaration of Salvador, Seun Sowunmi was announced as the chairman of the party. Days later, Olukayode Salako was said to be the authentic party chairman in the state. Who is the authentic chairman of the party in Lagos?
The chairman of the party in the state is Mr. Salako. All these people have three months terms because they are caretaker chairmen. If you see that one has been replaced, it’s because it was a caretaker arrangement. It was a three-month arrangement, so when it expires, they’ll maybe shake up the exco or they will replace some people. It’s that kind of situation, it’s not controversial.
Now that you have emerged winner, what are your plans to ensure that you unseat the APC in Alausa come 2023, which has become almost impossible in Lagos State over the years?
We have a lot, so much to offer Lagosians. As we start our campaign structure, like on Friday, we focused on finishing all the paperworks. So, from this week, we are going to start our campaign structures, inaugurate them, start our awareness drives, register into the party, make our structures public in ensuring that people have access to them and also register multiple support groups. You know the OBIdient movement is far reaching. A lot of people are engaged in it, a lot of people are excited by it. So, we are going to make it very easy for people to get involved. So those are our immediate plans and then we’ll start working towards getting ready for our campaigns.
How prepared are you to face the challenges ahead?
It’s good that you take this on record. We are forming the next government in Lagos State because it is time. You know at the state level, the PDP has never actually gotten it right and the truth of the matter is that Lagos wants something brand new. Lagos wants not only a government that is accountable and transparent, but that is honest, new, visionary, and that’s what we are bringing. You can be rest assured that there will be no controversy about whether any candidate is working for Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There will be no controversy about whether we want to win or whether we are just pretenders. We are going to fight it to the end with everything we have and we are going to deliver this mandate for the people. That is what people are craving for. It’s time for a Lagos that works for the people; it’s time for a Lagos that puts the people first.
The PDP candidate, Olajide Adediran, recently complained that the Lagos State Government was removing his campaign posters and threatening to withdraw licences of advert agencies who advertise his campaigns posters and billboards. How ready are you to face the likely similar frustration of efforts from the ruling party?
You see, this is the problem somebody that is just contesting for the first time usually faces. We have contested, this is nothing new.
If you have been on the field, if you have contested before, you will know that these are part of it. It is not something to complain about. Okay now, with the complaints, what is going to happen? Is LASAA going to stop taking their posters or banners down? Advertising agencies that are so linked to the government, paying taxes and the permits for four years, will not want to risk all of that because of the state capture that the APC has done with the sort of mercantilist sort of government that the APC has created that squeezes businesses instead of allowing them to thrive? They will not risk their businesses because you want to put up a banner or a billboard, they will not do that. That’s why I say that PDP, unfortunately, has not gotten it right; they try to out-goliath Goliath, instead of them to be like a David, it’s true. We will not have that problem. I ran at the centre, 10 local governments, I was not going on TV to be crying about my posters or my banners. If that is the challenge, you find a strategy around it. That’s all.
