I Remain UPN National Chairman – Fasehun

Founder of the pan-Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr Fredrick Fasehun, has dismissed his alleged suspension from the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, saying the suspension is an illegality that cannot hold.

Speaking at a well attended press conference in Lagos yesterday, Fasehun said UPN’s last National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held on October 13 exposed to the whole world the existence and operation of moles in UPN.

He said: "This group acted out a script written by politicians, political interests and political parties that feel threatened by the resuscitation of UPN and are determined to destroy the party. Their ultimate objective is to procure the dismembering of UPN by first decapitating the party through the elimination of its National Chairman.

"These malevolent elements have demonstrated clearly that they hold the person, the office and the authority of the UPN National Chairman in contempt. Through their open disregard for the UPN constitution this past year, they have held the entire party to ransom. Their recurring acts of indiscipline, disrespect, insubordination and corruption, have finally climaxed in this vain and futile announcement of the unconstitutional suspension of Dr. Fasehun as the party’s leader."

He said it is easy to see that UPN national leadership has split into two, and one group has decided to appoint a leader, or leaders, for itself adding that "clearly, they have the constitutional right to so do – going by the right to peaceful assembly and association guaranteed them in Section 40 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution."

Fasehun said that when in 2013, he mooted the idea of resuscitating UPN, he knew that there was going to be price to be paid, imadding that having put the totality of his existence, including OPC, which he said he spent the last 20 years of his life to build and sustain; his personal finances, business, time, home, socio-political space and associates, network of friends and contacts, "health and my peace, no one else, and I repeat, no one else in the entire sphere of UPN has paid the price I have paid. But I have put my hand on the plough and I will not look back".

He said: "We respect their resolve and their resolution to leave the party. They leave of their own volition. And on behalf of the UPN NEC and members nationwide, we hereby wish them well in their future endeavours."