Okupe: LP expels Obi's campaign DG over ‘constitutional breach’

The Labour Party in Ogun State has shown the exit door to the Director General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, over alleged non-financial membership status, high-handedness and financial recklessness.

Okupe, who has been spearheading the campaign of the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was expelled alongside 10 other members for allegedly breaching the party's constitution.

Making this known on Thursday, December 1, 2022, was the state chairman of the party, Michael Ashade, who said in Abeokuta, the state capital, that the members were expelled for breaching Labour Party constitution.

Explaining why Okupe was striped of his membership rights, Ashade said the campaign DG has failed to fulfil his mandatory constitutional requirements to retain membership status.

He said, having failed to pay his membership dues since he joined the party six months ago, Okupe no longer qualify to be a member of the party hence, he should cease to act as the DG of the Presidential Campaign Council.

Ashade added that Okupe and 10 others have contravened article 9(3) sub(iii) and Article 9(3)xi of the Labour Party constitution and thereby, ceased to be party members.

The campaign DG was also accused of mismanaging the funds approved for the Ogun Labour Party for mobilisation of members for the Oyo State rally held last week at Ibadan.

Ashade's word: “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.”

Backing the decision to expel Okupe, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, urged Obi to discontinue every relation with Okupe as campaign DG.

Arabambi further threatened that the Ogun chapter of Labour Party would enforce the dismissal of Okupe and others by all lawful means.