The Labour Party has declared the purported suspension of its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Director-General, Dr. Doyin Okupe, null and void.
National Secretary of the party, Mr. Umar-Farouk Ibrahim, on Friday in Abuja while addressing the media, said that the national leadership of the party was surprised at the suspension by the Ogun State chapter which was without due process.
“The Ogun State Chapter has acted outside its constitutional jurisdiction, the party has internal conflict resolution mechanism of handling cases against members as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
“There are also disciplinary measures to be taken, for example, before you discipline any member, there are certain procedures that you have to follow, you have to issue query among other procedures, and that has not been followed.
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“No complain was written by the state chapter, his ward and his local government. So we are saying the national headquarters is not aware of what they are doing, they are doing it on their own.
“The National Working Committee(NWC) is going to set up a committee and appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against the perpetuators in the state exco and we are going to fish them out and take appropriate action,” he said.
Ibrahim said the suspension was void as Okupe remained a card carrying member LP and the DG PCC.
He said that the party was not unaware of attempts by opposition parties to infiltrate its structures at all levels.
Ibrahim said that the party’s leadership would do everything within its powers to ensure that its cohesion was not tampered with and would not be distracted by the antics of the opposition candidates until all its candidates were victorious in the 2023 general election.
He expressed worry over recent attacks on party members, candidates and officials in some states, particularly Edo, Ebonyi and Kaduna where the state women leader was gruesomely murdered.
Okupe was expelled on Thursday by the Ogun State chapter of the party over alleged non-financial membership status, high-handedness and financial recklessness.
He was expelled along 10 others members.
Ogun State chairman of Labour Party, Michael Ashade, made the disclosure in Abeokuta, stating that Okupe and 10 others breached the party’s constitution
Ashade briefed the media on the development along with the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, and the State Secretary, Feyisola Michael.
He said: “Okupe has polarised the party in Ogun State with his crops of PDP dissidents and political liabilities who are only using Labour Party to revive their not only irredeemable dead political and financial lives but has successfully stole all that is available in LP.
“Therefore, in line with article 19(3) of the Labour Party constitutional provision, we declare that Dr. Doyin Okupe, having failed in the payment of his membership dues for the last six months of joining the party, has forfeited his membership of the party and no longer fit and competent to continue to act as the DG of the Presidential Campaign Council.
“We hereby notify our National Chairman Bar Julius Abure and Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that it’s expedient to obey the constitution of Labour Party by immediately appointing another DG for the PCC, and that should come from the North to reflect federal characters and political balance.
“We challenge Dr. Doyin Okupe to provide evidence of any payment in respect of membership dues prior to today into any bank account of the party.”
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