The Labour Party in Ogun State on Thursday expelled the Director General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, over alleged non-financial membership status, high-handedness and financial recklessness.
Okupe was expelled along 10 others members accused of breaching the party’s constitution.
The state chairman of the party, Michael Ashade, disclosed this in Abeokuta, the state capital, saying that the expelled members had allegedly breached the Labour Party constitution.
Ashade, flanked by the National Publicity Secretary of the party , Abayomi Arabambi and the State Secretary, Feyisola Michael, said Okupe ceased to be the party member after his failure to meet the mandatory constitutional requirements to fulfill membership status.
He said Okupe, having failed in the payment of his membership dues for the last six months of joining the party, has forfeited his membership of the party and is no longer fit and competent to continue to act as the DG of the Presidential Campaign Council.
Ashade said Okupe and 10 others have run afoul of the article 9(3) sub(iii) and Article 9(3)xi the LP constitution and thereby, ceased to be party members.
The party chairman also accused him of financial recklessness with respect to funds approved for the Ogun LP state on the mobilisation of members for the Oyo State rally held last week at Ibadan.
He said, “Okupe has polarised the party in Ogun State with his crops of PDP dissidents and political liabilities who are only using Labour Party to revive their not only irredeemable dead political and financial lives but has successfully stole all that is available in LP.
“Therefore, in line with article 19(3) of the Labour Party constitutional provision, we declare that Dr. Doyin Okupe, having failed in the payment of his membership dues for the last six months of joining the Party, has forfeited his membership of the Party and no longer fit and competent to continue to act as the DG of the Presidential Campaign Council.
“We hereby notify our National Chairman Bar Julius ABURE and Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that its expedient to obey the constitution of Labour party by immediately appointing another DG for the PCC, and that should come from the North to reflect federal characters and political balance.
“We challenge Dr. Doyin Okupe to provide evidence of any payment in respect of membership dues prior to today into any bank account of the party.”
He threatened that the party in the state would enforce the dismissal of Okupe and others by all lawful means.
Several attempts to get the reaction of Okupe failed as he neither answer several calls made to his phone line nor respond to a text message sent to his line.