Ogun LP factions trade accusations over party fund, leadership sack

Stakeholders in the Labour Party in Ogun State, on Monday, traded accusations following the purported sacking of the Lookman Jagun-led executive and subsequently constituting an interim committee to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.

Some stakeholders, comprising party chairmen at the local government levels and members of the executive of the faction of the Labour Party loyal to Senator Nenadi Usman, said the step became necessary following the expiration of the executive in April.

They accused the sacked executive of sundry allegations pertaining to party finances and staying in office beyond their tenure.

On the other hand, the Jagun executive accused those behind the move against it of playing to the gallery to please some external interests, absolving its members of malfeasance.

The publicity secretary of the interim committee, Kika Glasgow, said at a news conference held in the state capital, Abeokuta, that the committee will henceforth coordinate the affairs of the party pending the election of substantive executives.

Glasgow accused the sacked executives of issues bordering on finances of the party to the tune of N230 million, ethnicity bigotry, among other allegations.

He said: “The current institutional crisis necessitating this intervention is predicated on multiple, severe constitutional breaches such as violation of constitutional term limits as contained in Article 16(i) explicitly which limits the tenure of State Officers to “2 terms of 4 years each.

“And Article 16 (iii) states that no member shall serve in the same office continuously—in the case of elected position by Congress and much less in this case by appointment in an interim capacity.

“The continued stay in office of the current leadership, whose caretaker mandate expired in April 2024, constitutes an ultra vires action that undermines our constitutional order.”

Glasgow added, “In a bit to restore constitutional order and in accordance with Article 18 and Article 14(5)(B) the party hereby constitute an interim committee comprising of representatives from all three senatorial districts, mandatory inclusion of women and youth leaders among others.”

However, the publicity secretary of the Jagun caretaker committee of the party, Tokunbo Peters, described the allegations as baseless.

Peters said: “The Engineer Jagun-led Caretaker Committee has a mandate lasting till the end of May, 2025, during which period we are expected to conduct local government and ward congresses.

“I state categorically that the Engineer Jagun-led caretaker committee has never received a dime from Peter Obi or the national headquarters of the party as election expenses.

“So, which money are they talking about? Members of the Engr Jagun led Executive do levy themselves to run the party.”

“The moment we addressed a press conference on Saturday calling for the cancellation of the election, their paymasters mobilised them and they organised a kangaroo press briefing announcing that they have removed Engineer Jagun from office and suspended our caretaker committee.

“They then appointed themselves into various positions and proclaimed themselves as the new leadership of the party. Most of them are drunkards and a clog in the wheel of the party’s progress.

“Their actions are a nullity because it’s a violation of our party’s constitution and nobody recognises them.”

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