On Thursday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, yet again sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. In the ruling, the lord of the court said Lamido Apapa is the authentic Chairman of the party.
In April, the party faced the culmination of its leadership crisis when seven members of the National Working Committee declared Lamidi Bashir Apapa, who held the position of National Vice-Chairman (South), as the interim chairman of the party. This decision came as a replacement for the suspended chairman, Julius Abure.
The ruling on Thursday also nullified the candidature of the governorship candidates who emerged from Abure-led faction of the party, including Senator Athan Achonu, who was in the running to contest the next election in Imo State.
The court ordered electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, to recognise the governorship candidates of the party who emerged from Apapa-led factions in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states and publish their names.
Labour Party Intra Crisis
A rift between the Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa-led factions of the Labour Party has intensified following a recent ruling by an Appeal Court in Owerri, the capital of Imo State. The court’s decision, delivered late on Thursday evening, has led to conflicting interpretations from both factions.
Lamidi Apapa and his supporters assert that the Appeal Court dismissed Julius Abure from his role as National Chairman, confirming Apapa’s status as the legitimate chairman. On the other hand, the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has swiftly rejected these claims, denouncing them as false information.
Sources from the Apapa-led camp report that the Appeal Court not only removed Abure as National Chairman but also upheld Apapa’s leadership while nullifying the candidature of governorship and other candidates endorsed by the Abure-led National Working Committee.
Responding to these developments, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, issued a statement from Abuja. Ifoh contradicted the narrative put forth by the Apapa faction, emphasizing that the actual events within the court differ from their account.
He said, “It is another devastating blow for the Lamidi Apapa led dissident group as the Court of Appeal Owerri, sitting in Abuja today, Thursday August 24, 2023 dismissed the appeal filed by one Mr Basil Maduka, who is contending for the Labour Party governorship candidacy for Imo state.
“The court further held that the appeal by the Labour Party was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that mere comments of the trial judge in the matter was NOT A JUDGEMENT and should be discountenanced.
“Labour Party had asked the Court of Appeal to quash the comments of the trial court in the Federal High Court Owerri. Labour party also told the court that Senator Athan Achonu won the party’s primaries.
“The attention seeking camp of Lamidi Apapa had earlier today as usual misinformed the public by twisting the clear judgement of the appellate court.
“The attention seeking camp of Lamidi Apapa had earlier today as usual misinformed the public by twisting the clear judgement of the appellate court.
“It is therefore important to state that neither the Federal High Court Owerri nor the Court of Appeal Owerri, which sat in Abuja today made any orders in the matter other than for lack of locus standi against the plaintiff (Basil Maduka).
“Consequently, the status quo remains with Senator Athan Achonu as the validly nominated candidate of Labour Party for 2023 Imo governorship election
“With this Court of Appeal judgment and the endorsement of Senator Achonu by our national leader Peter Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure and other stakeholders and party members, the dust has settled on the gubernatorial ticket issue.
“Achonu has received the governorship flag of the party and has since flagged off his campaign with a well attended ceremony in Owerri on Tuesday.
“Recall that similarly, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City recently affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP).
“In the case of Mr Lucky Shaibu v. Julius Abure & 5 ORS (Appeal No: CA/B/93/2023), His Lordships Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua, Fatima Omoro Akinbami and Hon. Justice Sybil O. Nwaka-Gbagi in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeal of the Appellant.
“In his lead judgment Justice Abadua, while nullifying the earlier suspension and all actions taken against Abure and the party arising from the purported suspension, affirmed the decision of the High Court of Edo State and held that one man cannot suspend the national chairman of Labour Party in line with Article 13 and 17 of the Constitution of the Party and the extant Electoral Act of 2022 particularly when the appellant has been described by the party as unknown.
“We are therefore calling on the Labour Party members, Obidient faithfuls, and the general public to distance themselves from these falling and compromised members of the party who have since been shoved out of the party.”
