Labour Party’s Legal Head Declares Dissolution of Rivers Exco Illegal

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The National Legal Adviser of Labour Party, Akingbade Oyelekan has described the dissolution of the party’s executive council in Rivers State as illegal.
Oyelekan who claimed he was not aware of the sanction, explained that the dissolution as announced by the national headquarters of the party did not follow due process.

The leadership of the party had on March 7, announced the dissolution of executive members of the Rivers State chapter of the party on allegations of corruption and anti-party activities.

But in a press briefing with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Oyelekan faulted the decision, saying the process for announcing the dissolution of the River State executives was not in line with the party’s constitution.

He said while leadership of the party failed to act in accordance with the dictates of the party’s constitution, it was also wrong for the spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, to issue a statement announcing the sacking of a state executives. This, he said only amounted to usurping the powers of “the National Secretary of the National Working Committee (NWC) or National Publicity Secretary who were constitutionally allowed to make such announcement.”

He said: “I want to make this clarification because it’s expedient and very important that we need this clarification so that we don’t continue to fall into error.
“We discovered and read in some news platform that the River State executive was dissolved by my friend, Kenneth Okonkwo and I felt that was out of place. Why? There are constitutional procedures for taking such action.

“Our party’s constitution has laid down procedures to dissolve executives or a member of the party executive that erred.
“The process encompasses, first setting up a disciplinary committee that will listen to the issue. Vis a viz the allegations and the response from such a person or the group of persons. “Now, the disciplinary committee will recommend to NWC the appropriate measure or punishment to be taken or a punitive measure to be imposed on such a person or executives.

“But, this time around there was nothing like that and with due respect, Kenneth Okonkwo is not a member of the NWC of the party. He is not an executive with any of the structures of the party- state, local government, or even national so he cannot speak for the NWC.”

He added: “The person that is in charge with that responsibility of doing that is the National Publicity Secretary or the National Secretary himself.
“In the absence of the National Publicity Secretary, the National Secretary will give the message to the public, but this time around, it was Kenneth Okonkwo who is not known as an executive of the party, and as such he cannot give information on behalf of the Labour Party.

“Though, the PCC exists under the Labour Party, the spokesman of the PCC cannot speak for the Labour Party NEC. The Labour party has its own structure.”
Also speaking, the National Vice Chairman, South-South, Prince Favour Reuben, said the party’s PCC has no right to meddle into the affairs of the NEC or NWC, thus the Rivers State executives stand.

He said: “Whatever that has happened in the Labour Party in River State in the name of dissolving the executives is considered as null and void.”