Confusion In Labour Party As Court Declares Apapa National Chairman, Sacks Abure

Confusion In Labour Party As Court Declares Apapa National Chairman, Sacks Abure

The turmoil within the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) persisted yesterday, as the Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, ousted Julius Abure from his position as national chairman.

Subsequently, the court acknowledged Lamidi Apapa as the legitimate national chairman and the designated point of contact for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the party’s candidates in the upcoming governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa.

Furthermore, the court directed INEC to promptly recognize and publicly disclose the names of candidates endorsed by the National Working Committee led by Apapa for the governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi.

The court also invalidated the candidacy of Senator Athan Achonu for the Imo State governorship race and any other candidates put forth by the Abure-led faction for other states.

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In April, Apapa contended that his suspension as a party member was null and void, asserting his status as the “legitimate acting chairman.”

This recent ruling follows the decision of the Court of Appeal in Benin City on April 14, which affirmed Abure as the national chairman.

In the case of Mr. Lucky Shaibu v. Julius Abure & 5 ORS (Appeal No: CA/B/93/2023), Justices Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua, Fatima Omoro Akinbami, and Sybil O. Nwaka-Gbagi unanimously dismissed the appellant’s appeal. Shaibu, claiming to be a member of LP in the Ward 3 executive of Esan North East local council, Edo State, had attempted to suspend the LP chairman.

In her leading judgment, Justice Abadua upheld the decision of the High Court of Edo State, affirming that one individual could not suspend the national chairman as outlined by the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act of 2022, especially when the party regarded the appellant as unknown.

Similarly, the state High Court in Edo had dismissed the suspension notice issued by some LP members in Abure’s ward in Edo State.

In response, the Lamidi Apapa faction underscored that the judgment on the Imo governorship primaries invalidated all out-of-season governorship primaries conducted by the Abure faction.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Apapa underscored that the Federal High Court’s order restraining Abure from representing himself as the LP chairman remained in effect.

Apapa explained, “The Edo state issue, more or less, has to do with civil matters. The excos in Edo suspended him and they went to court because of that, and they don’t have the right to suspend him. I’m talking about ward level. But the FCT restraining order has to do with criminal matters. It is between the state and Abure, and nobody is above the law. That’s the difference between the civil matter and a criminal matter. The order of FCT has not been vacated, and that is why on the basis of that, the Appeal court reaffirmed that by the time he conducted his primary, a restraining order was in place. And up till today, the order is still in force. That’s the difference between the two.”

Apapa expressed his willingness for reconciliation but emphasized that it shouldn’t come at their expense. He also criticized the actions of the presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the party’s recent rally in Edo, which he believed went against the court’s judgment.