The Chief spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, has dismised the purported sacking of Dr. Doyin Okupe, Director General of the Labour Party (LP) campaign council.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Kaduna, Tanko said the Ogun State chapter of the LP which announced the sacking of Okupe and 10 others, has no such powers.
The leadership of the LP in Ogun State, had at a press conference on Thursday, announced the sack of Okupe and 10 others for alleged “non-financial membership status, political rascality and misappropriation of funds.”
However, Tanko said, some elements within and outside the party, were being sponsored to caused confusion.
“Some individuals in the party said the Campaign Director-General has been sacked, we want to reaffirm and confirm here today, that Dr. Doyin Okupe who we called the Oracle of our time, is the Director General of the Campaign of Peter Obi and Datti Yusuf Baba-Ahmed”, Tanko said.
He added that the party affirmed the appointment of Okupe as appointed by Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of the LP.
“It is also important to know that this afternoon, the Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party, also confirmed that membership of Doyin Okupe as Director-General of Peter Obi Campaign Council, is affirmed and also is a bonifide member of Ward 11, Ogun State.
“Therefore, there is no ambiguity with regards to his membership and affirmation.
“We are all aware that there are some elements that are being sponsored within and outside the party to try to cause a lot of problems.
” The truth here is this, the target is actually not Dr. Doyin Okupe but Peter Gregory Obi and they try to malign him everywhere and this has its historical facts, considering that at the beginning when we started, our members were denied registration in Lagos state”, Tanko said.
He lamented further that, “when it comes to the collection of PVCs, LP members were denied the opportunity of getting their PVCs and as we move along with the campaign team, we went to Lafiya, we were denied the use of the stadium.
“Then, they started destroying our billboards everywhere we go. Our candidate in Ebonyi State, was jailed 42 days and then the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, also made an unwarranted attack on our candidate.
“Therefore, the target was not actually Doyin Okupe but Peter Obi…
“We know of all other people. The issue of Arabambi is an internal matter and will be settled internally…”
On the issue of financial impropriety leveled against Okupe, the campaign spokesman, said there was nothing of sort as “Okupe was never in charge of funds.”
By John Shiklam in Kaduna
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