An Edo State High Court yesterday dismissed the notice of suspension issued against the embattled national chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure by some members of his Ward 3 executive in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Following the suspension, Abure and some other executives of the Ward went to court to seek redress.
Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Emmanuel Okey Aihamoje, said 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 in Suit No: HUC/21/2023 imposed an injunction against removing or suspending Abure as the National chairman until the national convention of the party is convened.
Justice Aihamoje held 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 judgment, the Ward 3 LP Chairman, Comrade Thompson Ehiguese said the judgment has put an end to the antics of those he said were masquerading as members of the Labour Party in his ward.
On his part, counsel to the Labour Party, President Aigbokhan described the judgment as a landmark decision that will stand the test of time.
“Any decision taken on the void notice of suspension falls effortlessly. The court in its decision emphasised that the role of ward executive in the Labour Party does not include the suspension of national officers of the party. Anybody who is relying on the suspension notice by the ward executive against the National Chairman of the Labour Party is on his own.”
The judge said that he has nullified the notice and he has restrained the National Working Committee from removing the National Chairman of the party pending the national convention,” Aigbokhan said. In his reaction, the state Chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi said, the “court has spoken through Hon. Justice Emmanuel Okey Aihamoje and it confirmed what we told the Nigerian public from the very beginning that Apapa and his cohorts are common tragic power seekers.”