The Labour Party has released a statement denying reports that Professor Ifagbemi Awamaridi is their candidate for the Lagos gubernatorial election. The party clarified that Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivor (GRV) is their official candidate for the governorship race. This comes after circulating reports claimed that Awamaridi accused the Labour Party of submitting a fake withdrawal letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove his candidacy, which he denied doing.

In a media chat at Primal Hotel in Ikeja on March 16, Awamaridi asserted that he never officially withdrew from the governorship race, as claimed by the party. However, a press release allegedly signed by the party’s State Secretary, Sam Okpala, stated that Awamaridi is the party’s legitimate candidate, as acknowledged by INEC.

The news of Awamaridi being the party’s candidate made waves across the internet spaces on March 17, a day before the governorship elections across the country. But the Labour Party Lagos chapter, via their Twitter page, debunked the reports and called them false, stating that they were the work of the opposition party.

The party called on all obedient members of the Labour Party to ignore the “lies from the pit of hell” and come out en masse to vote for Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour and all candidates of the Labour Party from top to bottom. The controversy surrounding the Lagos gubernatorial election is ongoing, and the results are yet to be announced.