A State High Court sitting in Edo State on Friday affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party while restraining the Lamidi Apapa-led faction.
Justice Emmanuel Aihamoje dismissed the notice of suspension issued against the embattled Abure by some LP members at the ward level before throwing out the case for lacking merit.
Justice Aihamoje said that the party ward executive in Ward 3 lacks the power under the LP constitution, particularly Articles 17 & 19 and the Electoral Act 2022 as amended to remove the national chairman of the party.
The judge imposed an injunction against removing or suspending Abure as the National chairman until the national convention of the party is convened.
Aihamoje further stated that the purported Ward 3 executive who suspended the national chairman of the party acted outside the powers vested on it by the party’s constitution.
Reacting to the ruling, LP Ward 3 Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, told journalists at the court premises that the judgment has put an end to impostors who are masquerading as members of the Labour Party in the ward.
On his part, Edo State Labour Party Chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi, affirmed that the Labour Party has been vindicated, adding that the court has confirmed Apapa and his faction are power seekers.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court had on April 5 issued an order restraining Abure from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
The court also restrained three other officials of the party over alleged forgery.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, also ordered that the originating processes of the court be served on the restrained officials such as Abure, the National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim; the National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara; and the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu.
Following the order, Apapa, who was the deputy national of the LP (South), declared himself as the party’s national chairman.
Some LP state chairmen disowned Apapa who they described as a factional leader, throwing their weight behind Abure as the LP chairman.
The Abure-led national executive committee of the LP thereafter suspended Apapa for “anti-party activities, contravening the constitution of the party and running of parallel leadership” in the party.
