Court affirms Abure as LP chairman, restrains Apapa-faction
On Friday, a State High Court sitting in Edo dismissed the notice of suspension issued against the embattled Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, by some ward-level party members.
The judge, Justice Emmanuel Aihamoje, dismissed the case for lack of merit.
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This was stated in a statement released in Abuja on Friday by the party’s acting national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who also confirmed that Abure and the LP Ward 3 executives in Esan North East, Edo State, filed the lawsuit.
In his nearly two-hour-long ruling, Aihamoje determined that the party ward executive in Uromi, ward 3, lacked the authority under the Labour Party Constitution, specifically Act 13 & 17 and the Electoral Act 2022, as amended, to remove the party’s national chairman.
Until a new national convention of the party is convened, the judge in Case No. HUC/21/2023 enjoined Lamidi Apapa and his faction from removing or suspending Abure as national chairman.
Aihamoje added that the alleged wards 3 executive that suspended the national chairman of the party acted outside the authority granted to it by the Labour Party Constitution.
Thompson Ehiguese, chairman of the Labour Party in Ward 3, stated to reporters at the courthouse that the ruling has put an end to impostors posing as Labour Party members in Ward 3.
He stated, “These charlatans claiming to be members of our party are APC members from Edo North. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Labour Party and the Obedient Movement for their staunch support of Comrade Julius Abure during the sponsored crisis in our great party.
“The ruling makes it abundantly clear that Julius Abure will remain national chairman until the party’s convention next year. Nothing can alter our collective resolve to reclaim the mandate freely granted to Mr. Peter Obi and the party in the last presidential election by the Nigerian populace.
Kelly Ogbaloi, chairman of the Edo State Labour Party, stated that the Labour Party has been vindicated and that the court has confirmed that Apapa and his faction are ‘tragic power seekers.’
“Apapa, who was a deputy national chairman and keeper of the party’s constitution at the time, knew that those who came to Abuja to announce the suspension of the national chairman were acting illegally, as the action was contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution. As a result, he ran to court, seeking an ex-parte motion to halt the national chairman.
“Today they have been informed that the court will no longer tolerate the charade,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the faction led by Lamidi Apapa, Abayomi Arabambi, disclosed that he planned to address the ruling at a press conference.
As of the time the report was filed, he had not been contacted.
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