Labour Party Insists Abure Is National Chairman As Another Court Counters Suspension

The Labour Party (LP) has said Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the party.

The party hinged their position on the judgment of a Federal High Court in Benin that ruled that Abure and other Comrades should remain leaders of the party.

The party said the judgment of the Benin high court overrides that of the Abuja court that suspended Abure and five other national officers.

The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Alhaji Umar Farouk, in a statement said the Benin High Court has issued a restraining order on the Labour Party, not to suspend the national officers pending the determination of motion on notice.

The statement by Farouk reads in part: “A State High Court sitting in Benin, Wednesday has restrained Labour Party and all its members from any suspension or purported suspension of its national officers till the determination of motion on notice.

“Labour Party lawyer, G. C. Igbokwe (SAN) confirmed to journalists that he has got a High Court order that status quo is maintained and no action which may result in the suspension of any national officer of the party be taken.

“According to the Senior Advocate, “Our attention has been drawn to a latter order purportedly from another court of equal jurisdiction restraining my clients. Of course, such order is of no consequence and will have no effect until after the determination of the motion on notice.

“Recall that the entire leadership of Labour Party in Edo including the State, Local Government and Ward executives on Monday had passed a vote of confidence on Abure, who was allegedly suspended by a factional group of the party.

“The party recalled that some groups who claimed to be ward three executives of the party in Edo State, led by the Ward’s Chairman, Martins Osigbemhe, had earlier announced the suspension of the LP national chairman.”

However, in a solidarity visit to Barrister Abure at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the chapters said the Osigbemhe faction are unknown to the party and are working for the opposition political parties.

Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the party, while addressing newsmen said that the constitution of the party did not empower any group or party members to suspend a national officer.

Ogbaloi said that since Abure was elected by a national convention, “imposters “who are not registered party members cannot suspend him, so their action is out of ignorance. Those who did it don’t even understand the message they were asked to deliver. No date has been fixed for hearing.”

The reaction from the Party followed an earlier restraining order from an Abuja High Court that the National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Julius Abure, National Secretary of the Party, Umar Farouk, The National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, National Treasure of the Party, Oluchi Opara and one other from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party.

The Restraining Order was issued by Justice Hamza Muazu while ruling on an ex-parte application argued by Chief James Onoja, SAN

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