The Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, has pointedly accused a former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, of being the brain behind the crisis in the LP.
Oshiomhole, a serving senator, is a former national chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The NLC and the leadership of the LP have been at loggerheads over the ownership of the party.
In an interview with a national newspaper, Olorunfemi said Oshiomhole’s ‘boys’ created a crisis between the NLC and the LP.
His words: ”This party rose from the ashes when former Governor Mimiko won election twice and used it to better the lots of the people of Ondo State.
”He left because Adams Oshiomhole will always seek to control the soul of the NLC. At that time, I was not too active in the party, but now, we will not allow Oshiomhole to take over the party.”
Asked if he was certain Oshiomhole was behind the crisis in the LP, Olorunfemi said:
”He is not playing it openly, but we can see his hands and his imprimatur everywhere. We can see the roles being played by his people and his numerous supporters since the crisis began.
”The people fomenting this crisis are his boys. We know him, we know what he can do, and we know what he has done in the past.
”We saw how he frustrated former Governor Mimiko and others out of the party. We told them that it was dangerous to allow Oshimhole to have a field day. We want Mimiko back in our party, and after this war, we will bring him back.
”That was what the party could not do at that time that made Mimiko and others leave the party.”