The Labour Party in Ogun State has been rocked by a large-scale crisis after a faction suspended the State Chairman, Michael Ashade, the Secretary, Feyisola Michael, and the National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, for alleged gross misconduct and anti-party activities on Friday.
The faction loyal to the LP Presidential Campaign Council’s Director General, Dr Doyin Okupe, who was expelled along with ten others for alleged violations of the party’s constitution, said the state party chairman and national publicity secretary have been dismissed.
Some other party leaders loyal to Okupe announced the expulsion of the state party chairman and the national publicity secretary twenty-four hours after their expulsion by the state party.
Lookman Jagun, the Deputy Chairman, and four others reaffirmed Okupe’s membership on Friday, but suspended Ashade, Feyisola, and Arabambi, citing anti-party activities.
Jagun, who spoke to journalists in Abeokuta alongside Ogun Central Senatorial Leader Ope Ijaola, Ogun West Senatorial Leader Taofeek Oloyede, Soyoye, state Women Leader Olori Bukola, and state treasurer Fesomade Gbadebo, said the decisions were made following an emergency leadership and stakeholders’ meeting in Abeokuta.
In his words: “Rising from an emergency leadership and stakeholders’ meeting held today (Friday) in Abeokuta, the party decided to axe these officers for various offences bordering on connivance with other parties, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress, government in the state to thwart the aspirations of Labour Party candidates in Ogun State as well as their various gross public misconducts and anti-party activities.
“We consider their recent vituperation and interventions as scenes from their theatre of the absurd and their last dance of the macabre by making such insensitive, uncouth and laughable announcements on severely faulted premises.
“We hereby reaffirm and pass a vote of confidence in the Director General of the Obi/Datti Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe, as well as the 11 notable members of the party that are purportedly expelled.”
He did, however, urge the party’s leadership to direct Arabambi to “hand over and hands off all matters in court on the listing of LP candidates’ names for the 2023 elections in order to prevent the party’s electoral failure in Ogun State.”