The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti state has assumed a dramatic dimension, as the factional group in the party described the newly-inaugurated state executive members of the party as impostors, who allegedly came into power through the power of money.
The group in a statement jointly signed by the party’s factional Chairman, Com Obafemi Adedayo and media and publicity secretary, Com Adedamola Temitayo, described the emergence of Akin Omole-led interim executive as unconstitutional.
The group said it would soon send an emissary to the Governor of Ondo state and National Leader of the party, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, to prevail on the ‘purported’ national deputy chairman of the party, Hon Joseph Akinlaja, to stop parading himself in that capacity.
However, the National Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Iwuanyanwu, had,
during the defection of Opeyemi Bamidele, who is a member of the House of Representatives into the party, declared the Omole-led executive as the authentic and recognised body by the national secretariat of the party.
The faction expressed disappointment at Akinlaja for “parading himself around as deputy chairman”, when Articles 16 and 17 of the party’s constitution prohibited any member to hold dual offices.
The group added that, with Akinlaja performing the swearing-in ceremony for the new LP’s executive, the entire process had been vitiated.
It said this was “in flagrant violation of Article 13(2) B of the party’s constitution”, whci it said expects the national officers of the party to organise a congress.