Akinwunmi Ambode, a former governor of Lagos State, is allegedly planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and join the Labour Party before July 15.
Hon. Moshood Salvador, an influential member of the APC and a former PDP state chairman, intends to join the former governor in the Labour Party.
Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation (AAMCO) and The Conscience Group (TCG), chaired by Salvador, are the two APC chieftains’ political organizations. According to Western Post, these organizations will formally announce their defection.
According to information obtained, the pair has already decided to join the party and run for the LP gubernatorial ticket in the general election of 2023.
A source said: “Hon Salvador was at the national headquarters of our party to officially notify our leaders of his interest in joining us to rescue Lagos from the grip of APC and Tinubu. We were among the delegation that went to Abuja to meet the chairman.
“Salvador said some party members approached him to come and lead the party in the state. He is welcomed into the party, but some of us are opposed to him becoming our governorship candidate.
“We believed that he can’t work against Bola Tinubu’s structure in Lagos, and we have also notified the national chairman about this development. We have encouraged him to via for a senatorial seat.”
Ambode’s committee would be led by Wale Oluwo, a former commissioner for energy and mineral resources, according to information provided by a different Labour Party source.
The LP source said: “Mr. Wale Oluwo will be leading the AAMCO group to join our party. The talk is on in Lagos LP and also done. Any moment from now, their defection would be announced officially. Currently, the LP party is the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics, so many want to work with us, including those who lost out at primaries held in both APC and PDP in Lagos.”
Salvador, however, refused to confirm reports that he is plotting to dump the APC for LP.
“I don’t response to such issue on phone. I don’t react to issue on phone. Thank you,” he said.
But the Lagos State Chairman of the LP, Prof. Fagbemi Awamaridi, informed Western Post that the Ambode group is now talking with the party, confirming the defection plans.
