Ahead of the Ondo gubernatorial election, a chieftain of the Labour Party and its House of Representatives candidate for Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections, Oluwadare Timothy Oki, has dumped the party.

This was contained in a statement personally signed by him and stumbled upon by Citizen Rapporteur on Wednesday.

Adducing reasons for his departure from the party, Oki decried the alleged neglect the leadership of the party gave to him and other patriotic partymen who lost their elections in 2023.

He also revealed how he continued to bear the burden of funding the party alone at the grassroots subsequent to his loss at the polls.

According to him, “Today, I made a critical decision to leave the Labour Party officially. Though the journey has been more than rough, I give glory to God for my past, present and future.

“The Labour Party in 2022 rose as a beacon of hope for the common man and I followed Peter Obi with all my heart and might. The party consequently offered me the House of Reps ticket for Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections which I reluctantly accepted based on my love for my people.

“I was reluctant because it was sudden and the financial burden was not small. However, the aftermath of the election and the way the party has treated me and other candidates who lost in that election has been appalling, to say the least. We were left like orphans in the dark, cold world,” Oki lamented.

Moreover, Oki also criticised the disorderliness and the skirmishes bedeviling the party both at the national level and at the state level, citing it as one the factors that informed his decision to leave the party.

In his words, “Worse still, is the fact that the Labour Party in Ondo state is devoid of order, operating on the principle of SURPRESS THE BEST, PARADE THE WORST.

“The leadership enabled strange birds to perch on the hardwork of others.

“In preparation for the guber election in the state, the national body completely looked away instead of rallying round the state excos to have a formidable candidate.

“Today, while other parties are preparing for the main elections, the Labour Party is immersed in a battle between two individuals who are laying claim to the party ticket in the same election.”

Oki further proceeded to say that the problems of the Labour party are too numerous and that he cannot thrive in such a party enmeshed in crises and disarray.