The turmoil within the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party, LP, ahead of the September 21 governorship election escalated on Thursday as the state Youth Leader, Ken Omusi, ousted the Kelly Ogbaloi-led State Working Committee.
Ken Omusi, alongside Stanley Orobosa and another individual, proclaimed themselves as the new leadership of the party in the state.
Addressing journalists at the party’s state secretariat in Benin City, Omusi appointed himself Acting Chairman and designated Stanley Orobosa as Secretary, forming a three-member interim executive for the LP in Edo.
Omusi cited the authoritarian and dictatorial leadership style of the ‘dismissed’ state executive as the reason for the change in leadership.
Having been a member of the party since 2006 and serving under three national chairmen, Omusi accused the Kelly Ogbaloi-led leadership of arbitrary suspensions of members without adherence to the party’s Constitution.
He claimed that over the past three months, approximately 350 party members had been suspended by the state working committee, allegedly through the party’s WhatsApp platform by the state chairman.
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Omusi emphasized that the situation in the Edo State LP is unprecedented, both within the party and 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.”
TheWitness
