•KAYODE SALAKO, LABOUR Party Reps Candidate, OSHODI-ISOLO Constituency 1
Kayode Salako is a leading politician in Lagos State. He was a valued member of the APC before he left to join the Labour Party in Lagos a few months back. His exit came as a big surprise because he and his wife, Foluke Daramola were in APC. But he left his wife behind in APC to pitch his tent with the Labour Party and he picked up the form to contest for the House of Reps seat of Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1. Shortly after decamping, he was made the Chairman of the party, in the state. After serving as Chairman for 5 months he was forced out of the position, by powerful forces within the Labour Party, who schemed him out.
He contested the February 25th elections and he keeps insisting that he is the winner of the elections and not the APC candidate that INEC game the Certificate of Return to.
A few days ago, he told City People the story of how he was robbed of his victory, by powerful forces in the Oshodi area and how INEC was part of the game that edged him out.
Right now, he is so unhappy and he plans to get back his victory.
Below are excerpts of his interview with Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE & OLUSOLA ABIODUN.
Do you feel fulfilled with the outcome of the House of Reps race you took part in on 25th February, 2023?
I feel I am partially fulfilled. I am not fully fulfilled because of the non declaration of my name as the winner of the election.
It is glaring that I won it and its still in the hands of INEC and some powerful APC chieftains in Oshodi, that are against my victory. And they know that I won the election. The victory is still hanging and they think that there is nothing Salako can do. INEC also knows that it is Salako that won the election. I would have been absolutely fulfilled today if INEC had declared me winner of the seat of Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1.
That is the reason INEC openly published it that Labour Party won the election in Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, Labour Party won the election in Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2. Labour Party won the election for Peter Obi in Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1 and Labour Party won based on the political structure I built. I led the team with the hardworking party members to build that in 5 months, as the State Party Chairman of Labour Party.
Honourable Basiru Ayinla Dawodu that was declared and erroneously and illegally given the Certificate of Return, knows that the Certificate of Return he is holding belongs to me. And that the burden of stealing my mandate is hanging on his neck and if he does not return it to me and INEC did not declare me the winner lawfully, of that seat, the burden of that proof will be hanging on their neck forever.
I am making effort for my name to be declared as the winner of that election.
You cannot tell me that I lost Oshodi Constituency 1, while Labour Party won the whole local government with wide margin. You can not tell me that I lost because I had a collation of the results on the day of the election and after the election and I can see that I won the election.
All along, they were using the tactics on the device, the IRF, the Cloud against the law of the Electorial Act, set by INEC itself. INEC is supposed to be an unbiased umpire. But, from my own conclusion, INEC was my opposition. I contested against INEC as the opposition party, not the APC and PDP and the rest.
I actually contested against INEC, but not the man that is erroneously holding my Certificate of Return. I am not yet fulfilled until INEC does the right thing. It is the mandate of the good people of Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, freely gave to me on the 25th of February, the day Presidential and National Assembly election. If you go to Oshodi today to interview anybody they will freely tell you it is me they voted for, but the powerful APC boys have been using the influence of their money and the power of party to sit on my victory.
Are you going to Court to fight that?
I am in the process, I weighing my chances. I don’t want to go to Court and lose. I am weighing my chances and the financial involvement, the evidences I can gather. I am still discussing with my Lawyers on what to do. I don’t want to waste money and time and still coming with nothing.
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