THE Presidential aspirant of the National Conscience Party, (NCP) Dr Thomas Ikubese, on Monday, resigned his membership from the party over an alleged plan to edge him out from the presidential race by the leadership of the party.
Ikubese who announced his resignation from the NCP during a press conference in Akure, Ondo state capital, said he had suffered various hostilities from the leadership of the party.
He specifically alleged the National Chairman and Secretary of the NCP, Yunusa Tank and Ayodele Akele, respectively, of drafting a new constitution for the party, saying the new constitution was drafted and designed to edge him out from being the party’s flagbearer.
Ikubese said “the National Chairman Yunusa Tanko and the National Secretary Ayodele Akele drafted a document directing that any Presidential Aspirant who is less than two years in the party should pay the sum of N7.04m to the Party.
“This is against the age-long tradition laid down by Chief Gani Fawehinmi, that party member who seeks to run for offices should do so at no cost, as a Populist Party, in order to encourage the masses to thereby participate actively in politics.
He also explained that Tanko, the National Chairman of the party, had declared his intention to run for the office of the President under the NCP platform, without resigning his position as the National Chairman.
Ikubese described the development as alien to the ideology and philosophy of the party saying “as at today, Tanko doubles as the National Chairman and a Presidential Aspirant of the NCP.
“This is to the disadvantage of any other aspirant in the party who will be “screened” by a committee that will ultimately report to him, thus upholds the power to approbate and reprobate.
“You cannot be in charge of the party, control its machinery and resources and also be an aspirant without fairness, justice and equity being compromised.
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“Tanko erected a barricade, mandating me to pay N7.04million as a Presidential aspirant, while he is not making any such payment, even though we are running for the same office.
“Since the National Chairman and General Secretary of the party have obviously compromised the integrity for which the party is known, I hereby withdraw my membership of the NCP forthwith.”
He, however, hinged his resignation on the premise that “it is obvious that the duo will use the party machinery to the advantage of Tanko even if I defeat him in the primaries, he and his accomplices will most likely work against me in the general elections.”
He called on members of the NCP to rise and protect the legacy of justice and equity of the party which Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the founder of the party lived and died for.
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