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Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State has declared that Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, who recently defected to the party, has the constitutional right to contest the 2014 governorship election on the party’s platform.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the party’s Chairman, Akin Omole, said Bamidele and other defectors were free to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming election.
According to him, this was contrary to the position of the splinter group in the party, that new members must spend six months in the party before they can contest the governorship election.
Omole warned members who have made themselves easy preys to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in its bid to rip the party apart to beware or face disciplinary action.
Earlier, the former Chairman of LP, Gbenga Daramola, said
there was no division in the party, adding that he is contented with his present position as Organising Secretary of the party.
Daramola was responding to a statement issued by aggrieved members of the party-Akinola Abidakun , Obafemi Adedayo, Babatola Sunday, Adelodun Dare, Okunola Olufemi and Adedamola Temitayo- that the party is factionalised.
Omole said: “There is nothing like that in our constitution (that new members must spend six months in the party before they can contest the governorship election). Article 10 says every member shall have the right to contest election subject to approval and guidelines set by the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party.
“In Article 27(3), which states the nomination of governorship candidate, the constitution states that the nomination shall be by congress.
"But where the SWC identifies a credible and acceptable person, he shall be presented to the state EXCO, but subject to ratification by National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
“We are not disputing the fact that they are supposed to be members of our party. We will continue to engage them to let them toe the line of reasons. But if they decide to go the other way, we will apply the relevant laws against them or expel them.”
Daramola expressed displeasure over the dissolution of the former SWC which he chaired by the National Chairman of the party, Dan
Iwunyanwu, on November 3, 2013, and replaced by interim executive led
by Omole, urging those he described as impostors to toe the line of decency.
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