The leadership of the Labour Party in Osun State on Thursday suspended the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr Samuel Akingbade, and the state Women Leader, Mrs. Susan Ojo, for attempting to create a faction in LP’s fold in the state.

Announcing the decision of the party at a press conference held in Osogbo on Thursday, Osun LP chairman, Adebayo Bello, explained that the executives have also suspended 11 local government chairmen of the party, for attending a meeting called to create a faction.

Bello also accused the suspended members of lending support to the attempt to jeopardise the petition of the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 General Elections, Mr. Peter Obi, against the victory of President Bola Tinubu currently being heard by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

He added that the affected officials had wanted to hide behind the crises rocking LP at the national level to create faction in the state.

Having discovered the intention of the affected officers, Bello said LP State Executives met on Thursday, May 11, where they resolved to support the National Working Committee led by Barrister Julius Abure and suspend those found working against the party’s unity.

He further said, “The intention is to create parallel structures at the National level and the states to lend support to the dirty agenda of scuttling the legal struggle of reclaiming the mandate of Mr. Peter Obi and Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed in the 2023 Presidential election. We observe that if the activities of these undemocratic persons are not checked on time, it will either weaken the Labour Party structure in Osun or collapse it totally.

“Barr. Samuel Akingbade (National Legal Adviser), Mrs. Susan Ojo (State Women Leader) and 11 chairmen of the Local Government of our party in Osun State who participated in a meeting organised by the National Legal Adviser and suspended State Woman Leader are hereby suspended from the party indefinitely.

“These members stand suspended for anti-party activities and gross misconduct. This decision will be forwarded to the National Working Committee of the Labour Party and other relevant bodies including all security agencies for further actions.”

He assured that the party executives in the state would continue to work towards ensuring that LP remains a united and formidable political platform capable of producing visionary and transformational leaders. (The PUNCH)

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