In this interview with TRIBUNE ONLINE, Comrade Oluwatoyin Shokunbi, the Chairperson of Lagos Labour Party Caretaker Committee spoke about their winning strategy to deliver Lagos for Peter Obi, among other wide range of issues in the party. AROGBONLO ISRAEL brings the excerpts:

Many people outside the Labour Party may not know who Comrade Oluwatoyin is. Can you give us a brief biography?

I’m a graduate of English Studies from the University of Ife and also have a master in Public Sector Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). I started my journey into Labour activism 20 years ago and have held various positions in the union. I was the chairperson of the Federal organ of Lagos of my great union under NLC, AUPCTRE (Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees) and currently, I’m the zonal treasurer of the union. I joined the Labour Party several years ago at the request of my union that I should represent them under the platform of NLC in Lagos. I’m also a member of the Campaign for Transformative Governance and in recent times we have organised town hall meetings in the three Senatorial seats of Lagos. I joined Labour Party as a member on the platform of NLC and have been very active in running the affairs of the party.

Before the emergence of Peter Obi, some of us have been in Labour Party building structures in the 20 Local Governments of Lagos and all the wards. And until recently when the expiration of Hon Salako came, we had a stakeholder meeting where all the six stakeholders in Lagos Labour Party were identified and nominees were taken from all the stakeholders, and out of these, I emerged as the Chairman of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee in Lagos. I’m very passionate about the masses and Nigerian workers at large. I want to see a better Nigeria where everybody will have a fair playing ground; a Nigeria where corruption will be avoided by the totality of Nigerians; this is the reason I find myself in Labour and I’m actively involved and have been doing my best to make sure we change the narrative.

How has the journey been so far with the Lagos Labour Party?

My journey with the Lagos Labour Party has been full of ups and downs. We have campaigning and building structures at the same time both in Lagos and at the national level because we have a focus on victory for a greater Nigeria where the narrative is changing and this has been rewarding and fulfiling. It has come with a lot of side effects too but I can always say in all my interviews, Labour Party has come with the emergence of His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Prior to this, money politics was still in Labour Party but when His Excellency came into the party, a lot of people came with him. Some came with him from PDP, others came from APC and you know some of them (decampees) have been used to the money politics which we are saying No to now. Of course, he came with some of this baggage we’ve been contending with, moving the party forward and at the same time trying to uproot all the baggage that has come into the party, to make sure that Labour Party has victory at all levels.

We understand there is internal wrangling in the party, especially between your faction and Salako’s. Don’t you think this may affect the chances of your principal, Mr Peter Obi in the forthcoming election

(Sighs)… of course, I always liken Labour Party to a couple who just got married. These are two different people coming from two different backgrounds with their flaws and strengths, and that is the exact situation we are having in Labour Party. A lot of people have come to the party and they are trying to adjust to the ideal of the party which is social democracy, truth, and justice. So, there have been a lot of friction, especially between the two factions of the party. The other side of the faction to which Salako belongs are strangers in the party. They just came into the party a few months ago and I’m sure nobody would want a complete stranger to come into his home and take over the affairs and be running the home. We are not saying people should not join us in the Labour Party, that’s not the message and that is not what we want. We have welcome everyone to the party with open hands. We only dislike the kind of dirty politics that has been brought into the party. His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi left PDP because he said the ticket was being given to the highest bidder. So, he left because of the dirty money politics and came into the Labour Party. Some of these politicians that have come into the party came with some of these things and we are saying No.

Fortunately for us, Salako has exited but his name is still ringing, I don’t know why but he has exited the scene and is now concentrating on his candidacy as the House of Rep Isolo/Oshodi Constituency 1 but he committed another error by handing over to Pastor Dayo Ekong and he said in his words “even though is not constitutional, I’m handing over the reign and affairs of the party to Pastor Mrs Ekong and I’m still in charge because I’m the Abure in Lagos. We were not part of the process. There has been a standing Caretaker Committee on ground before and we have been doing our work, and about one and a half month ago, he came up with his. We have been trying to harmonise and still in the process of harmonising, we have started with all the local governments, and we have been successful in some and others are still work in progress.

But for the present leadership in Lagos, no matter what you are hearing in the media, there are two factions of the party and we have agreed that since we don’t want to step down for another that we should all do our part as long as victory for the party and at the end of the day the scorecard will determine who is really working for the victory of the party at all levels. I want to really give kudos to the two factions. I think everybody has been working tirelessly for the victory of our principal, His Excellency, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba, and all our candidates that have been cleared by the court at all levels. We have been doing door-to-door campaigns, visiting markets, churches, mosques, etc., and the two factions have been doing this to make sure we deliver Lagos for our principal and all our other candidates.

How have you been able to manage the crisis since your assumption into office as the Lagos LP Caretaker Committee Chairman?

(Pauses)… the internal crisis in the party is not targeted at any individual, is just this Nigerian ideology that if you desire any elective post you must pay for it even though you don’t deserve it. Before you allow someone to take over the management of your company or organization, you must have watched the antecedents of where they are coming from to determine the kind of leadership roles you give to them. A lot of politicians that came into Lagos Labour Party came two to four months ago and suddenly you want them to assume the leadership role of the party not even knowing where they are coming from, which local government are they from? Are they active in their wards as members of the party? They left different parties to come to Labour Party probably because a lot of them lost in one capacity to the other as a candidate or in whatever capacity they are coming from. You don’t just hand over the affairs of the party that is properly working to even people party members don’t know. We have been doing the best that we can to deliver Labour Party for His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi and all our candidates, working round the clock to deliver the party and make sure we have victory. We are not deterred by these things happening in the party that you referred to as internal crises. In fact, we have increased the pace and tempo of the campaign at all levels.

What are the mechanisms put in place to ensure that you deliver Lagos for Mr Peter Obi ahead February 25 poll?

I’d say we are very blessed at the Labour Party because we have a lot of young people who have innovative ideas that we have been able to incorporate into our campaigns. In the next few days or weeks, we will be unveiling a lot of activities that we take Nigerians by surprise and let them know that Labour Party is not only on social media but we are here physically to make sure we get the support of Nigerians to vote for our principal, Peter Obi and make sure we give him victory come February 25. A whole lot of things will be unveiled starting with PVC sensitisation, operation getting to know your polling unit, flag-offs, car rallies, and all other things. And these are some of the innovations we are bringing into campaigning in the nook and crannies. Of course, we know some local governments are more peculiar than others. So, we are looking at the peculiarity of each local government and that is what we determine the kind of campaign that we do in all those areas. We are very ready and have already started. The tempo is high and getting higher day by day and come February 25, victory will be for our principal, Peter Obi at the poll. (Saturday Tribune)

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