www.twitter.com/platform9ja
EKITI State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has refuted claims by “some paid agents of the outgoing APC-led government over the composition of its interim state executive council saying that the party’s interim state exco is recognised by the national leadership of the party.
Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, the former state chairman of the party, Comrade Gbenga Daramola, said he and the other former party executives had ceased to be in control since November 3rd, 2013 based on the dissolution of the state exco by the national working committee of the party which thereafter inaugurated an interim exco to pilot the party’s affairs till September 2014 when a state congress shall hold.
Mr. Daramola who is now the interim Organising Secretary of the party noted that the national body had appointed Barrister Akin Omole as the new interim state chairman. He went ahead to present to the press, other members of the dissolved exco who remain in the new interim state council. They included Comrade Olu Olofin, (former Secretary and now Financial Secretary) Hon. Vincent Adesua (former Deputy Chairman and still Deputy Chairman), Hon. Bisi Omotosho (former Deputy Chairman and now Auditor), Hon. Onile Adams (former State Treasurer and now Assistant Secretary) among others.
Daramola advised the Ekiti people to totally disregard “the purported press statement issued by some misguided elements who claimed to be ‘foundation members’ of the party and targeted at misleading the public through the state-owned media, the EKTV. This misleading press statement was signed by Messrs. Obafemi Adedayo, Akinola Abidakun, Babatola Sunday, Adelodun Dare, Okunola Olufemi and Adedamola Temitayo to obviously to dent the image of the Labour Party and its leaders including a governorship aspirant, Honourable Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB).”
He also warned the signatories to the purported press statement to seek redress with the national leadership of the party instead of allowing themselves to be used as agents of destruction by a “sinking APC-led government of Governor Fayemi.”
In the same vein, the party berated the actions of the management of the state owned media, EKTV and BSES for rejecting press statements issued by LP saying that it smacks of unprofessionalism and ethical misconduct which flagrantly violates the rules as laid down by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Omole appealed to the Ekiti government-owned broadcasting station to strictly adhere to the NBC rules guiding political campaigns and be fair to all political parties as the electioneering in the state approaches. According to him, the management of BSES/EKTV must in the spirit of fairness and equity start airing paid advertisements from opposition parties forthwith, warning that the LP may have no alternative other than to formally complain to the NBC if the “current impudence of rejecting our broadcast materials continues.”
He also advised any aggrieved member of the party to take advantage of its machinery in line with the constitution in stating their grievances or risk being sanctioned by the national working committee. He also cleared the air on whether new entrants into the party must wait for six months before they can seek elective offices or not. He said that the party constitution does not stipulate any given period for membership before aspiring to any political office. He quoted article 10 (iii) on the rights and privileges of the party, stating that every member shall have right to stand for election to both legislative houses and political offices subjected to the approved guidelines by the national executive committee. On governorship nomination, he quoted article 276 on nomination of candidates for election which only gives the role to the state congress and the NEC of the party. Contrary to claims, he said nowhere in the constitution of the LP has any reference to being a member for six months before one can aspire to any elective post.
Meanwhile, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele, who is also a House of Representatives member representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency I, has raised the alarm alleging that “there is a grand plot by the ruling party APC to frame me up on a trumped-up charge over the rumoured attempt on the life of the security aide to the governor, Mr Deji Adesokan.”
Bamidele, a governorship aspirant on the platform of LP, said in a statement in Ado Ekiti, that it was wrong for the APC in the state to claim that two persons arrested in the home of one Mr Adesokan and charged to court on the allegation of attempted murder were his aides, saying this was a plot to frame him up.
The statement, signed by his media aide, Mr Ahmed Salami, said it was “incongruous and smacked of deceit and ignorance for the APC members to have linked him with the two accused persons, when no such information was contained in their statements to the police or affidavits deposed to in court.”
“Given the mischievous way the story was presented to the public, it is important for us to put the record straight to avail the members of the public an opportunity to know the truth of the matter.
“The two accused persons, Afolabi Oyediran and Oluwafemi Sunday, who were arrested within the premises of Adesokan in December, were neither members of Ekiti Bibire Coalition nor close allies of the federal parliamentarian.”
He alleged that the APC and Governor Kayode Fayemi’s government were “desperately contriving sinister means through which they could negotiate for the withdrawal of cases pending in court against interim chairman of the party, Mr Jide Awe and nine alleged killers of Bamidele’s loyalist, Mr Foluso Ogundare.”
The statement added: “Without mincing words, it is crystal clear to us that the linking of the detainees to Honourable Bamidele was another smear campaign to malign his (Bamidele’s) image and a calculated ploy to discredit his personality owing basically to his towering political profile and growing popularity as an aspirant for the forthcoming 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.
A crack in the fold of the LP in the state had seemingly emerged when a faction called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, to withdraw recognition for the party’s state chairman (Omole).
The faction said in a statement in Ado Ekiti that Omole’s appointment as the party’s state chairman “without a proper congress,” contravened Article 13 of LP’s constitution, and thereby described the process as null and void.
The group, in a statement signed by six of them, who claimed to be old members of the party, also faulted the governorship aspiration of Bamidele, who defected to the LP last month. They said new members can only aspire for such office after six months.
While calling on Omole to stop parading himself as the chairman of the party in the state, the group also said the absorption of members of Ekiti Bibire Coalition, a political platform of Hon. Bamidele into the LP, did not follow due process.
It said: “The elected executive at all levels before Bamidele and his group joined the party are hereby reinstated and as such they are to continue with the party’s business until a congress scheduled for September 2014 takes place.”
The statement was signed by “Obafemi Adedayo (LP Chairman, Ado Council); Hon Akinola Abidakun (LP Chairman, Ikere Council); Okunola Olufemi (LP Chairman Ikole Council); Adedamola Temitayo (LP Secretary, Ado Council); Babatola Sunday (LP Secretary, Ikere Council); and Elder Adelusi Dare (LP Secretary, Ikole Council).”
However, the LP’s National Chairman, Barrister Dan Nwanyanwu, had in Ado Ekiti, clarified that Omole remained the recognised and authentic chairman of the party in the state.
Nwanyanwu had said there was no faction, alleging that those fanning the embers of discord in the party were being sponsored by the ruling APC in the state to destabilize the LP.
The LP boss also said the party’s candidate for the 2014 governorship election would emerge in free and fair primaries adding that nobody would be imposed.
No comments:
Post a Comment