The immediate past Chairman of Lagos State Chapter of Labour Party, Mr. Olukayode Salako, has officially dumped the party, after months of unresolved disputes, emanating from his unceremonial ouster from office and fallout of the general election.
Salako made his intention known, through an official resignation letter to the embattled National Chairman of the party, Barr. Julius Abure, entitled, RESIGNATION OF APPOINTMENT AS THE SA TO THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE LABOUR PARTY, AND WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERSHIP FROM LABOUR PARTY, and was obtained by this medium.
The letter, which was dated 20th April, 2023, reads in part, “I wish to inform you and the leadership authority of the party that I am resigning from the official position above, and also withdrawing my membership as a card carrying stakeholder of Labour Party in Lagos State, from today, April 20, 2023.
“Dropping my membership of Labour Party at this critical time of my political career, is like dropping a child one has groomed passionately with the best of intention, sincerity, commitment and unusual affection”.
” However, in any association, or relationship, where there is absence of love, operational cohesion and trust, it would always be difficult to make tangible accomplishments; run things in peace and impossible to make progress”. He continues.
Salako further said that, It is a personal decision he made to save himself from the consistent accusations and public attacks of being labeled an APC/Tinubu mole in the party, among other personal reasons.
He further said, “I thank the party for the privileged opportunity it availed me to serve as the State Chairman of the party, as well as, for the ticket to contest as the candidate of the party in the February 25, 2023, House of Representatives election, and the appointment to serve your office as the Special Adviser on Lagos State Labour party affairs, and its Liason operations.”
While responding to our call, Salako confirmed, he endured the most difficult time of his adulthood and political sojourn as the Chairman of Labour Party.
He said, the mistrust, lack of internal democracy and insincerity, within the ranks of the party, is better imagined, and that eventually cost the party victory at the last general election.
Salako said he got into the party, with the utmost intention and mission to win Lagos State for Peter Obi, and helped the party to form the next government in Lagos, through the candidacy of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, but was frustrated from day one in the party as chairman, because of lack of co-operation in the party, and trust in the intention of his operations.
“I was pshycologically abused; emotionally assaulted on all fronts, and I did not have peace for one day, as the helmsman of the party at the time”.
” The OBIDIENT movement, most especially, did not trust me in any way. I was accused of being a Tinubu/APC mole in the party, and called all sorts of unprtinable and derogatory names”, he said.
To worsen the mistrust against his personality as Chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Peter Obi, whom he assiduously labored to build the party structures for his victory, never related with his office, nor encouraged his efforts and intention in any way.
“Mr. Peter Obi never even looked at my side, let alone talk to me about anything for once, and, according to Salako, that was repulsive.
In his resolve to win Lagos for Labour Party, Salako vigorously fought against the ranks of the party to institute a credible governorship substitution primary election, that brought Gbadebo Rhodes -Vivour in as a worthy choice that would have strong appeal to Lagosians.
“In all of my labour for the party, the only way Barr. Julius Abure and the people he listens to in the party, could appreciate my effort with, was a bogus appointment of Special Adviser to the National Chairman that seems only existed on the papers, which rather ostensibly, was a strategic ploy to push me out of the party”, he said.
Salako finally said, he would be announcing his next political move in the coming days, while thanking all his political supporters, loyalists and fans in the party for their steadfast, prayers and unwavering support over the years.
When he was asked, whether he was actually sent to Labour Party by Bola Tinubu, the president elect, he quickly answered, by saying Tinubu doesn’t even know him one-on-one.
“He might have been hearing my name in the social space, but he hasn’t sat down with me before. He hasn’t involved me in anything before. I haven’t benefitted anything directly from him before. He only knows my wife, Foluke Daramola-Salako, but doesn’t ever have anything directly with me”.
” The only reason people probably think I am his man, is because I was independently and publicly one of his die-hard apostles, when I was in the APC”.
” Moreso, the reason I have liked Tinubu over time, is more, because I see him as a kind and large hearted natural humanitarian”.
Someone, who has invested and impacted so well into humanity, and the lives of many Nigerians, home and abroad, since his foray into politics in Nigeria”, he concluded.
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