Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, has said that no individual or political party can at this point withdraw, submit or substitute the name of any candidate taking part in the 2023 general elections, stressing that Mr Oshuntokun remains ZLP’s Ekiti Central Senatorial candidate.
This was after the presidential candidate of the Zenith Labor Party (ZLP) said the new Director General of the Labour Party has since resigned from his party, an action he maintained was within the fundamental human right, of the former Ekiti central senatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Akin Osuntokun.
In an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Mr Osuntokun stated that he had abandoned his senatorial ambition under ZLP to take up Peter Obi’s campaign DG position.
The appointment of Osuntokun has generated questions as to where his loyalty lies between both parties.
According to Nwanyanwu in a press statement sent out to the media, “the controversy generated by the appointment of Mr Akin Osuntoku as the DG of H/E Peter OBI Campaign organisation is uncalled for.
“Akin Osuntokun resigned from the Zenith Labour Party since August 2022 and therefore no longer a member of our Party.
“Prior to his resignation from ZLP he held the ticket as a Senatorial Candidate in Ekiti State. At the time of his resignation, we could not replace him because the window allowed by the Electoral Act for substitution had elapsed.
We hold no grudges because it is his fundamental right to associate and exit from any organization.
“We wish him well in his newfound greener pasture, we believe this will put to rest the barrage of inquiries to us in this regard, the National Chairman/Presidential Candidate, Zenith Labour Party, Nwanyanwu stated.
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