Labour Party accuses Lagos gov, Iyaloja of frustrating opposition members businesses

The Labour Party has accused the Iyaloja General of Lagos, Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo and the Lagos State  Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, of an attempt to frustrate residents of Lagos from voting candidates of their choice in the 2023 general elections.

The party condemned the alleged “attempt to force the people to accept their candidates.”

A statement signed by Comrade Arabambi Oluwafemi Abayomi, its National Publicity Secretary, the party said traders of Igbo extraction were living in fear as there seemed to be a mandate from the highest quarters to ensure that they either accepted the All Progressives Congress (APC) or faced the dire consequences.

Abayomi said the party was in possession of evidence of coercion by market leaders under the watch of Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo with traders being forced to surrender their PVCs or have their shops locked and goods looted.

This, he said, started when market women were forced to stage a phantom one million March in support of the APC candidates and those who failed to comply were forced to part with a whooping N5,000 or have their shops locked.

“A case in point is the closing down of Alaba International market heavily populated by the Igbo when evidence abound that the foot soldiers of their candidate, the transport workers union members and the Park Management Committee are the ones who stirred the hornet net by embarking on extortion of buyers and traders under this economic hardship imposed on Nigeria by the outgoing President.”

Arabambi said under the watch of the APC, legitimate businessmen had been choked with various policies coupled with lack of electricity and basic infrastructure to enhance business.

According to the Labour Party’s spokesperson, the government of Lagos State is making it difficult to do business in the state with the alleged use of agents to frustrate their efforts.

He accused Sanwo-Olu of “losing his voice when and where it matters, but is quick to unleash his lapdogs and other security agents on hapless citizens especially the lads that were peacefully commemorating the second anniversary of EndSARS protest at toll gate where innocent youths were murdered by security agents.”

Comrade Abayomi wondered why Sanwo-Olu could not use the same method to protect Igbos and those who do not believe in the “policies of their murderous party and are ready to give them the red card at the polls.”

This, according to Arabambi, amounts to a drowning man seeking for ways to survive the tide of the waves, “but this time the tide is too strong for them and is ready to sweep them away at the polls in 2023.”

He warned the Iyaloja General and Sanwo-Olu to ‘have a rethink and never again throw the state into another season of darkness by promoting ethnicity.”

He added, “Nigeria is an indivisible entity and we have agreed to work together no matter where we find ourselves politically and geographically.”

The also urged the Inspector General of Police to as a matter of urgency call the Lagos State Police Commissioner to order as “this will be the last time such criminal and infraction will be tolerated by our party.”