The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party may be confronted with a new problem, as evidence emerged that his new campaign Director-General, Akin Osuntokun, is the current senatorial candidate of Zenith Labour Party.
Newsonline reports that now suspended Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Arabambi said Akin is not trustworthy and may be planted into the Obi-Datti campaign to ruin the chances of the former governor of Anambra State by the opposition presidential candidates.
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Abayomi Arabambi added that Akin Osuntokun as the Director General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council who took over from Doyin Okupe is the senatorial candidate for Zenith Labour Party representing Ekiti Central district, and accused him of being fraudulent and deceitful.
Arabambi in the statement said, “In the list of candidates just cleared by INEC for the National Assembly elections, Akin Osuntokun’s name and particulars were there, and this show that he is a member of the ZLP and also its National Assembly candidate.
“From available record, the ZLP has its own presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate. How then will he be leading our party campaign from another party?
“We are also sure that Akin Osuntokun has not resigned from the ZLP, neither has he secured a court order from a competent court of jurisdiction to delete his name from INEC list as the 90 days deadline allowed for substitution of candidates by political parties has lapsed.
“He is now presently the Ekiti central senatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, meaning he is contesting against Peter Obi and the LP on Feb 25, 2023. So which interest will he be serving at the Presidential Campaign Council?
“The costly mistake made by the LP to have picked Osuntokun among arrays of eminently qualified and dedicated members of the Party may have a devastating effect on the victory of our candidate, His Excellency, Peter Obi, and Ahmed Datti, if we fail to act now.
“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 option but seek legal means to remove Akin Osuntokun as campaign DG if he fails to throw in the towel within four days. Enough of having all these questionable characters involvement in our party affairs.”
A check on INEC register of candidates for the 2023 election and their parties showed that Akin’s name is number 392, on page 57 of INEC register, name is boldly written ‘Osuntokun Olusola Akintola’, representing Ekiti Central on the platform of the ZLP.
In reaction to the allegation and the check on INEC’s register, Akin said the issue being raised is a redundant issue.
He explained, “That’s a redundant issue. I have left the ZLP. It was actually the Constitution that I wrote. Dan Nwanyanwu was the chairman of Zenith Labour Party. It was at his insistence that I entered the party because I thought it was Labour Party.
“That was until I discovered it was the Zenith Labour Party. So I am not a member of the ZLP anyway. That’s why I said it is a redundant issue. It is of no consequence.”
He further added, “Of course, I never took it up in the first instance. You can go and verify the case for yourself. You can ask even the ZLP leaders as well Nwanyanwu who is the chairman himself.”
