By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The leadership of the Labour Party in Ogun State, has disowned what it described as an orchestrated, reckless and divisive news conference of some officials of the State chapter led by Micheal Ashade, State Chairman and his cohorts against the National Leadership of the Party.
A statement issued yesterday by Jagun Lookman, Deputy State Chairman (Ogun East), Ope Ijaola, Deputy State Chairman (Ogun Central), and Prince Oluwatosin Meadows, State Organising Secretary, said the issues raised against the leaders of the party was a sinister move of some disgruntled elements to de-market and discredit the growing popularity of the Party in Nigeria.
“All the issues raised by them amounted to infantile tantrums that were never discussed at the state executive meeting of the party before the press conference.
“As a matter of fact, all the allegations raised at the conference could have been resolved internally without calling a press conference.
“So, this action was clearly needless, condemnable and unfortunate and we suspect that it was engineered by some disgruntled elements within and outside the party, who are hell bent and desperate to de-market the Labour Party and its national leadership ahead of the 2023 elections.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Presidential Campaign Council, PCC is the perrogative of the Presidential Candidate and the National Working Committee, NWC of LP and since the PCC has been approved by the NWC no member of the party has the moral right to call for its dissolution.
“Again, the issue of national spread, as far as we are concerned, has been taken care of as Obi is from SE, Datti is from NW and the DG is from SW. So, nobody should be seen crying more than the bereaved as the North is not complaining.
“On the issue of not including Mr Abayomi Arabambi, (embattled National Publicity Secretary from Ogun State) in the PCC, this can be amicably addressed instead of making a mountain out of a mole hill by these elements.
“To this end, we, however wish to dissociate ourselves from the unruly hatchet job of these Exco Members of labour party in Ogun State and hereby reaffirm our confidence in the leadership of Comrade (Barr) Julius Abure, the National Chairman and Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate and the present Leaders of Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council.
“On the court issues of our Candidates, the National Leadership has assured us that no stone will be left unturned and that they are determined to prevent any officer of the party from extorting, defrauding or manipulating unsuspecting candidates on the basis of legal actions of the party”.
