Edo Court Restrains Labour Party from Suspending  National Officers

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The crisis rocking Labour Party (LP) took a fresh dimension yesterday as two conflicting court orders from two courts of competent jurisdictions were issued between its national officers and some suspended members of the party.

However, a State High Court sitting in Benin yesterday issued an order restraining LP and all its members from any suspension or purported suspension of its national officers till the determination of motion on notice.

This followed by an earlier order issued by an Abuja High Court yesterday restraining the National Chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, National Secretary, Farouk Ibrahim and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

Others stopped from parading themselves as national officers are the National Organising Secretary,  Clement Ojukwu and one other.

Justice Hamza Muazu issued the restraining order while ruling in ex-parte application argued by Chief James Onoja, SAN.

But in a statement signed by the National Secretary of the party, Farouk, the party confirmed that its lawyer G. C. Igbokwe ,SAN, 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 statement read: “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 LP in Edo state including the State, Local Government and Ward executives on Monday had 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 the Barrister 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.

“Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the party, 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.”

“No date has been fixed for hearing.”