Makarfi-led PDP aligns with LP for Lagos LG polls
The Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has aligned with Labour Party (LP) to participate in the July 22 local government election in the state.
This followed the decision of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to recognise the faction loyal to the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff.
Daily Trust reports that the two factions in Lagos - one headed by Hon. Mashood Salvador loyal to Makarfi, and the other chaired by Otunba Segun Adewale loyal to Sheriff - have sold forms to aspirants, but LASIEC ended up recognizing candidates that bought forms from Adewale, popularly known as Aero Land.
Salvador, who addressed a press conference at his residence, alongside members of his faction, said his group decided to seek for political solution ahead of the Lagos LG polls since legal solution to the leadership crisis at the national level was being delayed.
“If legal solution is being delayed, we have taken to political solution to form a political alliance. We are PDP any day and anytime. We only have a pre-electoral political alliance with Labour Party to contest this coming local government election only. This is not the first time of this type of alliance in Nigeria,” he said.
He directed their candidates to immediately start pasting posters with Labour Party symbols.
“I am now appealing to all lovers and sympathizers of PDP in Lagos State to cast their votes for ‘Labour/PDP alliance’ and vote the Labour Party; it is an alliance. We never decamped to any party. We are the PDP strength in Lagos State. In this preelectoral alliance, we have 342 councillorship candidates and 52 chairmanship candidates,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Sheriff-led faction in the state has condemned the move by the Salvador faction, saying the party had constituted a disciplinary committee chaired by Alhaji Wahab Owokoniran to investigate issues surrounding such behaviour.
He said the disciplinary committee was saddled with the responsibility o f investigating all allegations and possible sanctions.