An Edo High Court Judge, Justice Emmanuel Aihamoje, sitting in Benin, has prohibited Labour Party (LP) and its privies from interfering with the office of the National Chairman, Julius Abure, following a notice of suspension issued against him by some ward executives in the state.
Mr Abure and some of the executives of Ward 3 in Esan North East of Edo State challenged the action of some elements who purportedly suspended the national chairman of the party.
The judge dismissed the purported suspension, imposing a perpetual injunction against Lamidi Apapa and other residents or factions, from removing or suspending Mr Abure as the National chairman until the national convention of the party is convened.
Justice Aihamoje said the ward executives in Uromi, Ward 3 lacked the power, under the Labour Party Constitution, particularly Art.13 & 17 and the Electoral Act 2022 as amended to remove or suspend the national chairman of the party. He further stated that the ward executives who suspended the national chairman of the party acted outside the powers vested on them by the LP Constitution.
The Ward 3 Labour Party Chairman in Arueh Uromi, Mr Thompson Ehiguese, told newsmen that the judgement had ended impostors “masquerading as members of the Labour Party in ward. These people claiming to be members of our party are from Edo North and members of APC,” he said.
Aigbokhan, one of the lead counsel to the Labour Party and Julius Abure said that “this landmark judgement would stand the test of time. Any decision taken on the void notice of suspension falls effortlessly. The Court emphasised that the roles of ward executives in Labour Party did not include the suspension of national officers of the party.”
The State Labour Party Chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi, said Labour Party was vindicated and the court had spoken through justice Aihamoje and “this confirmed what we told the Nigerian public from the beginning that Apapa and his cohorts are common power seekers”.
It is widely agreed that the judgement will have a resounding impact on the Nigerian political climate, especially as the country approaches the 2023 general elections.
