By Anastasia Grace
Hours after the Director General of Peter Obi Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, was dismissed from the party in his home State of Ogun, the national leadership of the party has risen to his defence.
The National Secretary of the party, Umar-Farouk Ibrahim, told newsmen in Abuja, Friday that the expulsion was void and that Okupe remains the Director General of its Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.
Ibrahim said that the purported dismissal by the Ogun State Chapter was surprising especially as they were no complaints against Okupe in the past.
“That expulsion by the Ogun chapter was without due process.
“The State Chapter acted outside its Constitutional jurisdiction and did not follow the party’s international conflict resolution mechanism of handling cases against members as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
“There are also disciplinary measures to be taken. For example, before you discipline any member, there are certain procedures that you have to follow, you have to issue a query among other procedures, and that was not followed.
“No complaint was written by the state chapter, his ward and his local government. So, we are saying the national headquarters is not aware of what they are doing, they are doing it on their own.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) is going to set up a committee and appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against the perpetrators in the state exco and we are going to fish them out and take appropriate actions against them.”
Ibrahim said the expulsion was void as Okupe remains a card-carrying member of Labour Party and the DG of its PCC.
“We are aware of attempts by opposition parties to infiltrate our structures at all levels.
“We shall do everything within our powers to maintain the prevailing cohesion in the party and refuse to be distracted from the victory that is waiting for our candidates in next year’s general election”, Ibrahim concluded.