The presidential ambition of former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, suffered a major setback on Thursday as the Nigeria Labour Congress; the registered owner of the Labour Party, under which he intends to run, denounced his declaration.
Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President and Mrs Ebere Ifendu, the National Publicity Secretary, Labour Party, rejected the declaration and the hijack of the Labour Party platform at a joint news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
“It is not possible for Mimiko to run under the Labour Party and we want to say no to that as Mimiko has no business as a member of Labour Party.
“The party is registered by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress, Market Women Association, students. We register the party and the certificate of the party is with the NLC General Secretary.
“Therefore, bringing money to buy the party or the structure will not work, we do not share in the same ideology with him. It is a party with a difference.
“Therefore, I want to call on Mimiko once again to make sure he off-his –hands off the party.
“Therefore, A.A Salam cannot continue to function as the chairperson of the party,” he said.
He added the Labour Party is not a place for any candidate to join when the condition is favourable and when you arrive at your destination, you abandon it.
Also, Mrs Ebere Ifendu, National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party also warned Nigerians and political aspirants to disregard the purported party convention slated for 13 September in Abuja.
“It has become necessary for the leadership of the Labour Party to draw the attention of the general public to the fraudulent collection of Expression of Interest and Nomination Form fees from innocent and unsuspecting political aspirants.
“That is for those who desire to contest various elective positions under the Labour Party through Alhaji A. A. Salam, the former national chairman of the party.
“It would be recalled that A. A. Salam was removed at the special national convention of the party held on 3rd October, 2017″.
Mimiko made known on Thursday his intention to run for president of Nigeria on the platform of the Labour party (LP) in 2019.
Mimiko, 63 years old, made the declaration at an event held at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
He expressed concern over the killings in the Middle Belt and some other parts of the country.
The aspirant said that the excruciating economic pains and the unprecedented level of division, and distrust at individual and communal levels, were of great concern.
Mimiko said that the ability to envision great ideas, and demonstrable track record, rather than place and circumstances of birth, should be the most compelling basis for investing candidates with power.
“This is, therefore, not the time to cheapen the dialogue by engaging in argument on whose turn it is to run the country.
“Rather, it is time to insist that only the best is good for Nigeria; it is time to all march out and recall our past, take charge of the present, and launch out into greatness, as one inclusive, cohesive family,
“There comes a moment in the life of a nation when every patriot must stand up to be counted.
“At such a moment, no person worthy of a place in history can afford to remain ensconced in their comfort zone.
“When the totality of our being and the very essence of our humanity are in violation, patriots must advance to recapture the present; and commit to re-defining the future.
“I have found it compelling to declare my intention to run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, who claimed to be the Chairman of Labour Party received Mimiko during the declaration.
Abdusalam has now been declared an impostor by the NLC.
