Ogun UPN sacks chairman over fraud, anti-party activities
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By Olusola AJIBIKE (Abeokuta)
NIGERIA: CRISIS has hit the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in Ogun State.
The state chapter of the party has suspended its Chairman, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Irede Oginni, over alleged tax fraud and anti-party activities.
The Secretary of the party, Alhaji Moruf Popoola, said on Monday at a press conference held at the party secretariat in Onikolobo, Abeokuta, the state capital, that the party’s Disciplinary Committee, after its investigation, found Oginni guilty, which led to her immediate suspension.
Popoola, who was accompanied by the Chairman, Disciplinary Committee, Aminat Olatubosun, and National
Leader, Babatunde Folarin, at the conference, said that the suspended chairman could not account for the money she collected from 28 candidates of the party.
Twelve candidates and former personal assistant to the respondent, Mrs. Olamide Salami, testified that the respondent collected the money from them and no receipt was given to them, Popoola said.
He said that when Ogini was confronted with the allegation of defrauding the candidates to the tune of N1.2 million, she pleaded guilty, which led to the suspension in accordance with the relevant provisions of the party’s constitution.
Similarly, Popoola said that the UPN, whose governorship candidate in the 2015 election is Prince Rotimi Paseda, found Oginni guilty of romancing with opposition party.
He explained that one of the text messages of her romance with another party chieftain was uncovered.
According to him, when interrogated by the committee, Oginni admitted the message was erroneously sent by her 10-year-old daughter, identified as Favour Oginni.
“In accordance to the provision of UPN constitution page 29, Article b, under bad behaviour and page 29, Article c under punishment, we recommended for her removal from office with immediate effect,” he said.
He also disclosed that part of the committee’s recommendations was to make refund of the tax money by her to protect her name and the integrity of the party.
Another recommendation, according to him, is that Oginni should not be allowed to hold any party post for the next one year.
Other members of the committee that dished out the punishments, he added, are Dina Adewale (Vice Chairman, Disciplinary Committee), Adekunle Kamar, Olaleye Abel, and Wasiu Oluaye.
When GatewayMail contacted Ogini, she said the suspension holds no water, while insisting that she remained the authentic party chairman in the state.
“They have no power to suspend, they are not exco of the party and it is only the congress which has such power,” Oginni said, adding: “I don’t even know those behind the fake suspension order.”
She further said: “It is blackmail, and I may even take them to court, and I am saying boldly, I’m still the chairman of the party.”
- For any reaction or to contact GatewayMail newspaper, Toronto, Canada email us at: info@gatewaymail.org, whatsapp or text message: +2348033186252 (no calls).
Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve been ignorant of their value.
This is the problem that UPN has right from time, in 2015,paseda spent a lot of money ,but the people around him did not direct the money to right place, e.g. alhaji asafa, soye, a lot of them like that. Plus this time will want paseda in 2019,look at ogini I saw her with honorable ladi of PDP last week. Pls manage your office very well and make thing work out.