Controversy Trails Presidential Campaign Council Set Up For Peter Obi As Labour Party Chairman, Spokesman Trade Words

The presidential campaign council inaugurated on Wednesday for the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has continued to generate mixed reactions.

This is as the chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure and the party’s national spokesperson, Arabambi Abayomi have expressed opposing views about the development.

Naija News recalls the Labour Party on Wednesday unveiled its Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election.

1,234 members were named for Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation at the event held in Abuja. The chairman of the party, Julius Abure, was represented at the event by LP secretary, Umar Farouk.

A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, (AIG) Mohammed Zarewa was named as the Chairman of the council, while the Director General of the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, retained his position as DG of the PCC.

Clement Ojukwu and Yunusa Tanko were named as secretary and chief spokesperson of the outfit respectively.

However, the LP spokesman, Abayomi described the campaign council as the outcome of mischievous political shenanigans by Doyin Okupe.

He added that the party is not involved in the set-up.

“We are not involved in Dr Okupe’ mischievous political shenanigans.

“That is not the party’s programme. He can’t be talking about our party, our party all the time. Which party? Is he the leader of the Labour Party now to announce himself as the DG? It’s an anomaly.”

Who announced the DG of Atiku? Atiku did it. When Tinubu announced his DG, the party did it.”

“Where is Peter Obi? Okupe doesn’t know what he is doing. I want to be quoted. The DG ought to go to the North East or North Central. We are not a sectional political party. Our presidential candidate is a pan Nigerian. How can we have a presidential candidate from the South and the campaign DG coming from the same South,” Abayomi was quoted by Leadership to have said in a message.

Disregard Abayomi – LP Chair

However, the chairman of the party, Julius Abere said contrary to the submission of the spokesman, the party is fully aware of the council.

He added that the spokesman is on his own.

“My attention has been drawn to a short reaction by our National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Arabambi Abayomi while responding to a reporter’s enquiry via Whatsapp wherein he said, “We are not involved in Dr Okupe mischievous political shenanigans.

“Kindly disregard the statement as it does not emanate from the leadership of the party. It is important to let our esteemed friends of the media know that the leadership of the party fully endorsed the media outing of Peter Obi campaign council. The party was fully consulted and was represented by a good number of our National Working Committee (NWC) led by the national secretary,” he said.

Obi, Datti-Ahmed Shun Council Inauguration

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, were absent at the unveiling of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council.

While the event was ongoing, Obi, in a tweet via his verified Twitter handle, said he was attending the 52nd Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) conference in Abuja.

This article was originally published on Naija News