•Paul Ayanlola
A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Hon. Tokunbo Paul Ayanlola, has said that the time has come for Lagosians to have a rethink over the domination of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in state politics and governance.
Ayanlola, a former Labour Party candidate for the Lagos House of Assembly election in 2023, lamented that the APC has turned the state into a one-party structure, which he said is not supposed to be so in a proper democracy, reports Saturday Independent.
Ayanlola,who spoke to our correspondent today in Lagos, took a swipe at the party over the leadership tussle in the State House of Assembly, leading to having two factions in the House with two Speakers.
The LP chieftain now eyeing the Mushin Council chairmanship position, stated that as a Lagosian, he had been watching how things had been drifting apart in the APC dominated Lagos State House of Assembly in recent times.
He stressed that as a citizen and a stakeholder, the time has come to call the warring parties to order so that governance can go on in the acclaimed State of Excellence.
Ayanlola stated: “It should be noted that both factions belong to the same APC family. What is happening now should be an eye-opener to Lagosians.
“The divide and rule system of the ruling party cannot continue. The one-party structure in the state can no longer be sustained.
“The time has come for Lagosians to deepen democracy in the state by opening their doors to other political parties. The determination of the fate of over 22 million Lagosians by a few should end.”
Ayanlola stressed that as Lagosians are getting ready for the Local Council elections soon, the people should think twice.
“Have Lagosians really been getting the maximum benefits democracy offers them through the one-party structure?
“No. Instead, Lagosians have been subjected to autocratic leadership, which does not give them a say on how they are governed.
“Therefore, in choosing those to lead at the grassroots level, Lagos residents should see the Labour Party as a better alternative and a trusted partner in progressive.
“We need to end the current leadership by a few, the main reason the Lagos Assembly crisis has been festering.
“The Lagos Council elections will be an indicator of the shape of 2027 elections in the state.
“The time has come for Lagosians to end this theatre of the absurd which the Lagos House of Assembly has become because of its one-party structure.
“If there is truly real opposition in the House, this show of shame would not have festered for so long.
“Since the Lagos House of Assembly can no longer sit peacefully, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the needful as both factions do not have regard, even for the party’s leadership, President Bola Tinubu, and the judiciary.”
