ABUJA, Nigeria – The ongoing saga at the heart of Nigeria’s Labour Party took a dramatic turn on Friday, May 19, 2023, as Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court in Abuja granted an order staying the suspension of Julius Abure, the chairman of the Labour Party, and two other high-ranking officials.
The other officials named in the case are the national organizing secretary, Mr Clement Ojukwu, and national treasurer, Oluchi Opara.
The suspension, initially granted on April 5, 2023, barred these officials from representing themselves as national officers of the party.
The plaintiffs, comprising a group of eight individuals led by Martins Esikpali John and Dr Ayobami Arabambi, sought the removal of the Labour Party officials through an ex-parte motion, marked M/7082/2023.
The plaintiffs argue that the defendants have engaged in misconduct within the party’s internal affairs.
However, the senior advocate representing the defendants, Alex Ejesieme, pushed back, saying that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
“Our contention is very clear that those criminal allegations cannot be ventilated in an origination summon. The issue of locus standi is there.
The claimants are not members of NEC or the party. They have a duty to present their membership cards to the court which they didn’t,” Ejesieme argued.
Despite this, the plaintiffs, represented by counsel Mr George Ibrahim, insist that the defendants have disregarded the initial April 5, 2023, court order. They claim that the defendants are still acting as national officers of the Labour Party.
The plaintiffs also allege that the defendants had forged various official documents of the FCT High Court to facilitate unlawful substitutions in the last general election.
A warrant for their arrest has been obtained following a police investigation into the matter, according to Ogwu Onoja, another counsel representing the plaintiffs.
In the midst of these legal entanglements, Justice Muazu has decided to grant a stay on the suspension, pending further determination of the appeal lodged by the defendants.
The case was then adjourned, with further proceedings expected today.
The ongoing legal battle lays bare a growing schism within the Labour Party, throwing into question the legitimacy of its current leadership and threatening to destabilize its activities ahead of the next general election.
