Labour Party Expels National Publicity Secretary; Dissolves Its Ogun State Chapter

Abayomi Arabambi, the Labour Party’s national publicity secretary, has been fired, and the party’s Ogun State chapter executives have been disbanded due to alleged anti-party activity.

This development comes roughly two months before the general elections in 2023.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) made the decision following their alleged involvement in the expulsion of Doyin Okupe, the director general of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council.

The committee is also reported to have given Julius Abure, the embattled national chairman, a vote of confidence in his leadership after reviewing and dismissing the corruption claims made against him.

The leadership of the Ogun State chapter of LP had expelled Okupe and 10 other party members for alleged “non-financial membership status, political rascality, and misappropriation of funds.”

The members who were impacted include: deputy State Chairman II East, Jagun Lookman; state Women Leader, Oluwabukola Soyoye; ex-state Treasurer, Gbadebo Fesomade; state Publicity Secretary, Jide Amusan; state Youth Leader, Abdulmalik Olaleye; Assistant State Youth Leader, Adeshina Shojobi; Senatorial Women Leader Ogun East, Deborah Adewale; Assistant State Secretary, Olatunde Abolade, Abel Olaleye and Abayomi Collins.

Umar Farouk, the National Secretary of the Labour Party, announced the dissolving of the party’s state chapter in Ogun, the expulsion of the party spokesman, and the suspension of its chairman and other officials during the emergency meeting of the NWC on Friday in Abuja.

He stated that the party can no longer tolerate such anti-party behaviour among its members.

He said, “The acting National Publicity Secretary has been relieved of his appointment by the National Working Committee. A disciplinary committee has also been constituted to investigate his anti-party activities as a member of the Labour Party.

“The Ogun State chapter of the party has also been dissolved and the chairman and its exco suspended. A caretaker will be appointed to take care of the party’s activities in the state. They will also be investigated by the disciplinary committee for anti-party activities.

“The NWC has also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the National Chairman, Julius Abure. Consequently, we call on the party members to adhere strictly to the provision of the Constitution and Code of Conduct of the party. We also call on the general public to have more confidence in the party as the leadership of the party is working very hard to ensure that we are not distracted. The bad elements and the Judas among us will be fished out gradually and punished in accordance with the Constitution of the party.

“We also called on Nigerians to disregard any negative information spread by some miscreants as the party’s loyalists, whereas we have found out they are acting out the script of our opposition.”