State High Court Perpetually Restrains Apapa and Cohorts From Holding Themselves Out As Acting National Chairman

From Chris Akhabue

EDO State High judge, Justice Emmanuel Okey Aihamoje has dismissed the notice of suspension issued against Comrade Barrister Julius Abure by some purported Ward Executives. The action was filed by Bar. Abure and some of the executives of the Ward 3 in Esan North East of Edo State.

In his judgement which lasted for nearly two hours, justice Aihamoje said the party ward executive in Uromi in ward 3 lacks the power under the Labour Party Constitutional particularly Art.13 & 17 and the Electoral Act 2022 as amended to remove the national chairman of the party.

The judge in Suit No: HUC/21/2023 went ahead to impose perpetual injunction against Lamidi Apapa and his cohorts and any other descident or faction from removing or suspending Barrister Julius Abure as the National chairman until the national convention of the party is convened. 

Justice Aihamoje further stated that the purported ward 3 executives who suspended the national chairman of the party acted outside the powers vested on it by the Labour Party Constitution.

The Ward 3 Labour Party Chairman in Arueh Uromi, Comrade Thompson Ehiguese told journalists at the court premises that the judgement has put an end to impostors who are masquerading as members of the labour party in the ward." These charlatans claiming to be members of our party are from Edo North and members of APC" he said.

He went further and states that "I want to use this medium to congratulate the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement that stood firmly with Comrade Julius Abure while the sponsored crisis in our great party lasted. 

"The judgement is explicitly clear that Barrister Julius Abure remains  the national Chairman until the party convention holds next year. 

"Nothing can change our collective resolve to reclaim Nigerian masses mandate freely given to Mr Peter Obi and the party in the last Presidential election. 

Bar. President Aigbokhan one of the lead counsel to the Labour Party and Barrister Julius Abure said that "the decision just given is a landmark judgement that will stand the test of time. Any decision taken on the void notice of suspension falls effortlessly".

He added "The Court in his decision emphasized that the roles of wards executive in Labour Party does not include the suspension of national officers of the party."

Edo State Labour Party Chairman, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi said Labour Party is vindicated and the court has spoken through its erudite justice, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Okey Aihamoje and it confirmed what we told Nigerians public from the beginning that Apapa and his cohorts are common tragic power seekers. 

"Apapa who before then was a deputy national chairman and a custodian of the constitution of the party knew that the act of those who came to Abuja to announce the suspension of the national chairman was not doing so legally, since the action was an aberration to the provisions of the party's constitution, instead he ran to the court, seeking ex-parte motion to restrain the national chairman. 

"Today they have been told squarelly that the charade can no longer be entertainted by the court", Comrade Ogbaloi said.