*Party says his suspension is unfounded
The Labour Party has described the sack of the Director General of its Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Doyin Okupe, as unfounded and affirmed that his position in the party is intact.
The Ogun State chapter of the party had on Thursday suspended Okupe and others for breaching the rules of the Labour Party.
But in a press conference on Friday, the spokesperson of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, accused some people within and outside the Labour Party of being used by the opposition to destabilise the party due to the growing popularity and acceptability of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
“The Presidential Campaign Council are affirming this position that Dr Doyin Okupe is not sacked by anybody as the Director General of the Campaign Organisation of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council,” he said.
“So, the rumour going around that he has been sacked is unfounded and cannot be affirmed because you cannot sack somebody you did not appoint.
“The party and the Presidential Campaign Council affirm the position of Dr Doyin Okupe and he is a bonafide member of the party in ward 11 Ogun State and so also was affirmed today in a press conference in Ogun.
“So, any other person that is used under a disguise in order to cause mayhem, destruction and distraction which we suffered right from the beginning of this campaign should know that we will fight for our country and we will fight for our party and we will fight for our presidential candidate.
“Dr Doyin Okupe has not been sacked because he was appointed by the Presidential candidate Comrade Peter Obi and so shall it remain until when we win the election in 2023.”
The Labour Party campaign spokesperson exonerated Okupe from misappropriation of any fund, saying that the DG ensures that the right persons were given monies for mobilization and organisation.
“Dr Doyin Okupe has no businesses with finances, he only gives directives and they are being disbursed accordingly. So, those are some of the lies and manipulations, we are used to them. Even Peter Obi has been lied upon constantly but the truth about it is that at any point they come at us, we become stronger and more popular,” Tanko maintained.