A state High Court sitting in Benin has restrained Labour Party and all its members from any suspension of its national officers till the determination of motion on notice.
This is coming after the National Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP) led by the Deputy National Chairman of the party Lamidi Apapa reversed the suspension of the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Abayomi Arabambi and its National Youth Leader, Eragbe Anslem.
The party also reinstated the elected Executive Council members from Ogun, Rivers as well as Gombe States, and subsequently dissolved the Engr. Jagun Lukman led Caretaker committee in Ogun State
These decisions took place during the NWC emergency meeting of the party, held in Abuja on Thursday, with Chief Lamidi Apapa presiding as the acting National Chairman of the party following an Abuja Court ruling that restrained Julius Abure and three others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.
Apapa emerged as the acting National Chairman of the party while Saleh Lawan became the acting National Secretary.
According to Apapa, Abure and the three others must vacate the order of the Federal High Court restraining them before further action can be taken on the leadership of the party.
A release signed by Abayomi Arabambi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said “apart from the reversal of the illegal suspension and the immediate reinstatement of the democratically elected Ogun states Executives Council members, the National Working Committee, also lifts the suspension and reinstatement of other states Executives Council members of Rivers State and Gombe States”.
“NWC also directed the dissolution of Lagos State Caretaker Executive Committee and suspended the planned Lagos State Congresses with immediate effect”.
However, Labour Party lawyer, G. C. Igbokwe (SAN) confirmed to newsmen that he has gotten a High Court order that status quo is maintained and no action which may result to the suspension of any national officer of the party be taken.
The Senior Advocate said, “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 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 three 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 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.
Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the party, Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, while addressing newsmen, said that the constitution of the party did not empower any group or party members to suspend a national officer.
Ogbaloi said that since Abure was elected by a national convention, “imposters “who are not registered party members cannot suspend him, so their action is out of ignorance. Those who did it don’t even understand the message they were asked to deliver.”
