Confusion As Court Stops Suspension Of Labour Party Chairman, Other National Officers 

Two courts have reportedly issued conflicting judg­ments on the sack of the national offi­cers of the Labour Party (LP).

Recall that Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territo­ry (FCT) had, on Wednesday, re­strained the National Chair­man of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure; National Sec­retary, Farouk Ibrahim; National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, and one other from parading them­selves as national officers of the party.

Justice Muazu gave the re­straining order upon an ex-par­te application argued by Chief James Onoja (SAN).

The plaintiffs in the suit marked CV/2930/2023 are Mar­tins John, Lucky Shaibu, Isah Ze­keri, Omogbai Frank, Abokhaiu Aliu, Ayohkaire Lateef, Job Elo­mah, and Abayomi Arabambi.

But in a twist, a state High Court sitting in Benin reportedly restrained the party from suspending its national officers till the deter­mination of the motion on notice.

This was made known in a statement on Wednesday by the LP National Secretary, Umar Farouk.

According to Daily Independent, the statement quoted LP lawyer, G. C. Igbokwe (SAN), as saying that the court ordered that the status quo be maintained and no action which may result in the suspension of any nation­al officer of the party be taken.

It read, “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 State, 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 3 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 the 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.”

Addressing reporters, the Edo State Chairman of the Labour Party, Kelly Ogbaloi, said no group or party member is empowered to suspend a national officer.

He stated that imposters who are not registered party members cannot suspend Abure, who was elected by a national con­vention.

Ogbaloi added: “So their action is out of ignorance. Those who did it don’t even understand the message they were asked to deliver.”