BY BRIGHT JACOB
A former acting Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has picked holes in the emergence of Akin Oshuntokun as the Director General of Peter Obi-Ahmed Datti Presidential Campaign Council.
Arabambi, in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Wednesday, said that Oshuntokun’s name was in the list of candidates recently cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the National Assembly elections, as a Senatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, representing Ekiti Central senatorial district.
Furthermore, Arabambi questioned Oshuntokun’s loyalty and said that Oshuntokun hadn’t resigned from the ZLP, nor secured a court order to delete his name from the INEC’s list, as the 90 days time allowed for substitution of candidates, had lapsed.
He also submitted that the LP’s “costly mistake” in selecting Oshuntokun may have a devastating effect on Obi emerging victorious in the presidential election.
The statement said, “In the list of candidates just cleared by INEC for the National Assembly elections, Akin Oshuntokun’s name and particulars were there, and this shows that he is a member of ZLP and also its National Assembly candidate.
“From available record, ZLP has its own Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates. So how then will he be leading our party campaign from another party”.
“We are also sure that Oshuntokun has not resigned from ZLP, neither has he secured a Court order from a competent Court of jurisdiction to delete his name from INEC list as the 90days time allowed for substitution of candidates by political parties has lapsed”, Arabambi said.
“He is now presently the Ekiti Central Senatorial candidate of Zenith Labour party, meaning that he is contesting against Peter Obi and Labour party on February 25th 2023. So, which interest will he be serving at the Presidential Campaign Council”.
“The costly mistake made by LP to have picked Oshuntokun among arrays of eminently qualified and dedicated members of the party may have a devastating effects on the victory of our candidate, His Excellency, Peter Obi and Ahmed Datti if we fail to act now”.
Continuing, Arabambi said that Oshuntokun also lied to the LP about his actual status as a member of the ZLP, and that legal recourse would be sought if Oshuntokun failed to throw in the towel within four days.
“In fact, it’s a criminal infraction by Osuntokun to have lied to Labour Party when in actual fact he is a Zenith Labour Party Senatorial candidate for Ekiti Central in Ekiti State for the forthcoming February 25th Presidential and National Assembly elections, where he, Osuntokun, will be a contestant.
“Barr. Dan Nwayanwu who happens to be the National Chairman of Zenith Labour party will be contesting as Zenith Labour Party Presidential candidate against Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate. Where then lies his (Oshuntokun’s) interest in this criminal contradiction.
“For some of us that are neck deep in ensuring that we have a new Nigeria under the headship of Peter Obi as the President, we will not have any option but to seek legal means to remove Oshuntokun as our campaign DG if he fails to throw in the towel within four days,” the statement ended.
