The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has described as unconstitutional, the expulsion of the Director-General of Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, over alleged “non-financial membership status, political rascality and misappropriation of funds.
Okupe has been having a running battle with the top hierarchy of the LP and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, many of whom claimed that he has a history of financial impropriety and intolerance.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Farouq Umar, said the party has an internal conflict resolution mechanism of handling cases against party members as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
“The suspension of Okupe from the party by the Ogun State chapter is null and void. He remains a card-carrying member of the Labour Party and the Director General of the presidential campaign council.
“The party is solidly united and behind its leadership and the leadership of the presidential campaign Council,” he said.
Farouq explained that the party was also unaware of the step by the opposition in some political parties to infiltrate party structures at all levels since it has become the chance for the Labor Party’s candidate to emerge victorious in the upcoming general election.
“The party will do everything within its power to ensure that our cohesion is not tempered with and we will not be distracted by antics of the opposition and our candidate will become victorious, Inshallah.
“The party is also concerned about the recent attack on our party candidates, members, and officials in some states like Ebonyi, Benue, and Kaduna where one of our women was gruesomely murdered,” he added.
The National Secretary of LP, however, called on opposition parties, particularly the state governors to restrain their thugs and security agencies to be vigilant and carry out their constitutional responsibilities in protecting the lives and properties of the citizens.
“We hope that the government will act promptly we have had what the National Security Adviser publicly indicated the state governments have released in their thugs to carry out mayhem on the political structures and the opponents.
“We are afraid and also commending the government for coming out to state the National Security Adviser shows that there’s a commitment by the demand to ensure that there’s going to be a free and fair election,” he stated.
