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Crocodile Tears: Dan Iwuayanwu, Labour Party Warlord "Weeps" During Party’s Convention In Akure Over Mimiko’s Exit To PDP

October 12, 2014

Outgoing chairman of Labour Party (LP), Dan Iwuanyanwu,, betrayed his emotions crying like a baby on Saturday at the 4th National Convention of the party held in Akure, the Ondo state capital. 

The National convention, which attracted delegates of the party across   states of the Nigerian federation  was   presided over by Mr.  Iwuanyanwu.[slideshow]35485[/slideshow]

At Adegbemile Cultural Centre in Akure, where the event was held, Mr.   Iwuanyanwu, broke into tears when he was about to read a part of his final speech concerning the exit of the Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko from the Labour Party . 

He claimed regretting giving Mr. Mimiko the platform to become the governor of Ondo state. However, several members of the party in attendance jeered and murmured in protest,  asking him to stop shedding crocodile tears, the jeers were so loud that it almost disrupted Mr. Iwuanyanwu's speech.

Sensing discomfort by members, Mr. Iwuanyanwu, then pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the tears and cover his face as photographers in attendance clicked away.

A citizen reporter was  manhandled by party loyalists while trying to get good shots of Mr. Nwanyanwu’s as he shed crocodile tears at the venue. 

Holding the microphone, with a shaky hand, the Labour Party leader begged supporters and leaders of the party never to allow the exit of Mimiko devastate their love for the growth and development of the party.

 Nwanyanwu said the Labour Party provided and raised Mimiko on its platform to become a governor in Ondo state.

He added that Mimiko defection to the PDP would not stop the party from contesting in the  2015 House of Assembly and House of Representatives election in the state.

The National Chairman, however, noted that the party was unhappy about Mimiko’s exit but said it cannot do anything to stop him from moving ahead to another party. 

“He has made his reasons public about  his exit  and the party is not to blame in anyway.” he said 

Also speaking at the event, the Ondo acting State Chairman of the party, Wale Gbakinro said the exit of Governor Olusegun Mimiko would attract more members back into the party.

Gbakinro said  some of the pioneer leaders led by Mimiko had left it for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of misunderstanding.

“The exit of Governor of Ondo state from the Labour Party doesn’t signal the end of the Labour party in the state. Our members shall take up the struggle”, he said.

At the convention, Abdulkadir Salam, former National Secretary of the Labour Party, was unanimously elected as the new National Chairman of the party.

 Salam will replace Nwanyanwu who stepped down recently after spending 10 years as the National Chairman of the party while Kayode Ajulo, an Abuja lawyer, who is a known loyalist of Mr. Mimiko was elected the National Secretary of the party.

Several executive members were later elected through the show of hands of delegates to fill other vacant positions.
 
Top on the roll call of attendees were, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the Ekiti State in the just concluded election, Opeyemi Bamidele, and that of Osun State Governorship, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade.