Bribery scandal rocks Ogun LP
A simmering crisis rocking the Labour Party in Ogun State according to Punch report took a new dimension on Tuesday, as a faction led by Olabode Simeon alleged that the other faction loyal to a former governor of the State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel offered it a bribe of N16.3m to take over the party structure.
According to the report, the state factional chairman of the party, Bode Simeon, at a meeting held at the party state secretariat in Abeokuta with his loyalists alleged that the other faction had made several attempts to hijack the party from them.
He said the other faction had offered him a trip to either Canada and Dubai, and a bribe of N16.3m which came in foreign currency and naira, and is to be shared by him, the secretary, Oginni Olaposi and financial secretary, Arabambi Abayomi.
He said, ” They offered me a trip to either Dubai or Canada for two days and they promised to to fill my account.
“They offered three of us N2m each just for us to agree to a meeting and also offered us $62,500. They did this through a third party who communicated this to one of us through a text message.
“We asked them – what are we selling that they are offering us money?
“Though they went on air saying we want settlement, it is all lies. We are not selling our party. Nobody is taking over Labour Party from us, no matter how highly placed he is in the society.”
The party in a communique read by the Financial Secretary of the party condemned the statement credited to Daniel that the party has been handed over to him by the national leadership.
The statement read in part: “Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Labour Party national Chairman and Secretary never commissioned the parallel secretariat.
“They did not inaugurate any parallel executive arm of the party in Ogun State other than the Federal High Court Lagos declared status quo executive led by Olabode Simeon; Sunday Oginni and Abayomi Arabambi.”
The state publicity secretary loyal to Daniel’s faction, Deji Kalejaiye, described the allegation of bribery as “alien, baseless and illogical to the ideals of the Labour Party”.
He said the trio of Bode Simeon, Oginni Olaposi and Arabambi Abayomi, could not be higher than the national leadership of the party, “which severally affirmed the leadership of OGD at the inauguration of the party secretariat on May 17.”
Source: Punch
