LP moves against Mimiko’s attempt to collapse party into PDP

Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

Crisis rocking the Labour Party has took another dimension as the national leadership of the party has threatened to carry out severe sanctions against any of its member that attend the proposed national convention scheduled to hold later in the month in Akure, the Ondo state capital

The party leadership also warned all politicians seeking any elective office on the platform of the party to stay away from the 11 October 2014 convention, failure of which such politician would be severely sanctioned.

In a statement issued and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ikpe Etokudo, copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Abeokuta Sunday afternoon, the party explained that the purported convention does not conform with the laid down norms of the party’s constitutions and as such remain illegal.

“The new realities of the situation in LP today demands that all our members, especially those wishing to vie for elective positions on the platform of our great party must not patronize or have anything to do with the PDP sponsored National Convention holding in Akure, Ondo State.

“That gathering is illegal and anything that emanates from there is null and void, therefore of no consequence whatsoever,” Etokudo said.

In an interview with journalists, Etokudo, who said he was in Abeokuta to confer with the Ogun State leadership of the party on the state of affairs of the party, emphasised that the purported convention lacked the approval of the National Executive Council of LP, stressing that, it was sponsored by opposition political party to destabilize the party.

“The Leadership of the party and all major stakeholders in Labour Party seize this opportunity to urge all genuine members of our party to shun the illegality scheduled to take place in the PD P’s newly acquired ‘fiefdom’ on October 11th, 2014. As the highest decision making organ of our party, the National Executive Council (NEC) did not and never convene to approved the so called convention for that date.

“The constitution of our Party; article 13, section 2B, sub sections viii, ix and xviii only vested on the NEC, the absolute power to convene a National Convention of Labour Party.

“Therefore, any one who attends or causes unsuspecting members to attend that evil conclave will be disciplined. All those aspiring to contest in the forthcoming INEC National Elections are hereby urged not to pay for or collect Intent and Nomination Forms from anyone or agents of those purported to have been elected as officers of the Party at the Kangaroo National Convention on Saturday the 11th day of October in Akure, Ondo State”, Etokudo posited.

The LP’s National Publicity Secretary also alleged that the planned Akure Convention was a calculated attempt by the Ondo state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to collapse the Labour Party into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said does not receive the blessings of the entire party’s national leadership.