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The crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of Labour Party, LP, ahead of the September 21 governorship election took a new dimension on Thursday as the state Youth Leader of the party, Ken Omusi, sacked the Kelly Ogbaloi-led State Working Committee.
Omusi declared himself, one Stanley Orobosa and another person as the new leaders of the party in the state.
Omusi, who spoke to newsmen at the state secretariat of the party in Benin City, declared himself Acting Chairman while naming Stanley Orobosa as Secretary, as part of a three man interim executive committed of the LP in Edo.
He noted that the change of leadership was necessitated by the draconian and tyrannical leadership style of the ‘sacked’ state executive.
Omusi, who said he had been a member of the party since 2006, added that he had served under three national chairmen – Dan Iwuanyanwu, Alhaji A Abdulsalam and now Barrister Julius Abure.
He accused the Kelly Ogbaloi-led leadership of high-handedness for unilaterally suspending members without recourse to the party Constitution.
He alleged that in the last three months not less than 350 members of the party have been suspended by the state working committee.
Omusi further alleged that the members were suspended on the party’s WhatsApp platform by the state chairman.
“What is happening in the party in Edo State currently has never happened in the party anywhere else in the country even at the national level.
“The leadership of the party in the state have turned themselves into something else. Instead of building the party ahead of the September 21 governorship election, they are now suspending members of the party on the WhatsApp platform.
“That is how bad it is. I saw a short message on WhatsApp platform where members of the party are suspended.
“From February 23, 2024 till date not less than 350 Labour Party members have been suspended across the state in an election season like this, when other political parties are trying to mend fences and resolves differences.
“Nor of these persons that were suspended were ever disciplined according to the party’s Constitution. When a person is accused of misconduct, first thing is that you must on your own try your possible best to follow the disciplinary actions. None of these people were called for a trial, but just outright suspension on the WhatsApp platform.”
Insisting on the dissolution of state party exco, he called on the national leadership of the party in Abuja to ratify the development.
“As we speak today, the state executive of the party led by Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi as the former state chairman and comrade Akhere as the secretary are hereby dissolved.
“All the 18 local government working committee and all the ward working committee are also hereby dissolved.
“A three man committee would be constituted for the state down to the ward level, so that we can call all our aggrieved people and put our house together before the forthcoming governorship election.
“I, Ken Omusi, is the acting chairman, Comrade Stanley Orobosa and an person are members of the committee. We have a three men committee in the state, three men committee in each of the 18 local government areas and three men committee in each of the 192 wards,” he added.
Reacting, Kelly Ogbaloi, who said he remained the substantive chairman of the party in the state, opined that Ken Omusi and his cohorts have no legal right to remove the state working committee.
Ogbaloi, who said he was in a meeting with the national chairman of the party in Abuja, said it is only the National Working Committee that has the power to remove any state working committee member.
“I remain the substantive chairman of Labour Party in Edo State. No part of the party has been dissolved. The group you mentioned have no legal right or backing to dissolve any executive of a state council.”
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