The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed the expulsion of its presidential campaign Director General, Dr Doyin Okupe, by its Ogun State chapter.
National Secretary of the party, Umar Farouk, who addressed a press conference at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, declared the suspension of Okupe and 11 other officials of the party null and void.
Farouk maintained that the Ogun State chapter acted outside its constitutional jurisdiction as well as failing to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanism.
The Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party, on Thursday, expelled Okupe on the ground of his alleged failure to perform his financial membership status in the past six months contrary to the dictate of the party’s constitution.
They announced his dismissal alongside ten 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.
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. The party will do everything within its power to ensure that our cohesion is not tampered with and we will not be distracted by antics of the opposition and our candidate will become victorious.”
– Media Report