He urged Okupe to provide him with any documentation of membership dues paid into any LP bank account before December 1, 2022.
He requested that Mr. Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, and the party’s National Chairman, Barr. Julius Abure, follow the party’s constitution by immediately removing Okupe from his role as DG of PCC and appointing a new DG for the body, who should be from the North to reflect federal characters and political balance.
Ashade hinged the action on Article 9(3)xi of the party’s constitution providing that “only fully registered and financially up-to-date members of the party shall have the right to vie for office in the Ward Executive, Local Government Area Executive, State Executive Councils and the National Working Committee of the Party or be a delegate to the Congresses and the National Convention.”
He said, “Article 9(3) iii of our Party’s Constitution states as follows: ‘only members who pay their monthly membership dues at rates prescribed shall be deemed to be bonafide members of the party. Arrears of dues of up to six months shall lead to forfeiture of membership.’’
“Despite repeated demands from various meetings I had with Dr. Doyin Okupe in respect of his mandatory constitutional requirements to fulfill membership status, he has failed woefully in this regard with some others to flagrantly disobey the Constitution of Labour party.
“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 (PCC).
“We hereby notify our National Chairman, Bar Julius Abure, and Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that it’s expedient to obey the Constitution of the party by immediately appointing another DG for the PCC and that should come from the North to reflect Federal Characters and political balance.”
The council, therefore, appointed Mr. Theo Igbozuruike as Acting Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Oladimeji Elizabeth Temidayo, Ag.State Women Leader, Babaseun Ogunyemi, Ag.Dep. State Chairman II, Mr. Adebiyi Adekunle, Ag.State Youth Leader and Mr. Olaniyi Shobajo, Acting State Treasurer.
In order to fill these positions, the council appointed Mr. Theo Igbozuruike as acting publicity secretary, Mrs. Oladimeji Elizabeth Temidayo as acting state women’s leader, Babaseun Ogunyemi as acting deputy state chairman II, Mr. Adebiyi Adekunle as acting state youth leader, and Mr. Olaniyi Shobajo as acting state treasurer.
