Okupe Remains Labour Party Member, Campaign DG, Says Party

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

Labour Party (LP) has dismissed the expulsion of its presidential campaigns Director General, Dr. Doyin Okupe, by the Ogun State chapter of the party led by the National Publicity of the party, Arabambi Aboyemi.

The National Secretary of the party, Umar Farouk, who addressed a press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, declared the suspension of Okupe and 11 other officials of the party null and void.

Farouk maintained that the Labour Party Ogun State chapter acted outside its constitutional jurisdiction even as it failed to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanism.

It would be recalled that the Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party Thursday expelled Okupe on the ground of his failure to perform his financial membership status in the past six months contrary to the dictates of the party’s constitution.

They announced his dismissal alongside 10 others from the party in the state.

The move was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Thursday, where they called for the emergence of a new director general of Northern extraction to reflect the national character and political balance.

But the national headquarters through the party’s National Secretary has called their bluff, saying the party remained strong and united.

Umar said:  “The party has an internal conflict resolution mechanism of handling cases against party members as enshrined in the party’s constitution.

“Therefore, the suspension of Dr. Doyin Okupe from the party by the Ogun State chapter is null and void. He still 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 PCC.”

Umar also raised the alarm that the party was aware of steps “by opposition in some political parties to infiltrate the party’s structures at all levels, since it has become obvious that the chance of Labour Party’s candidate to emerge victorious in the upcoming presidential election is becoming brighter day by day.”

He said 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.”