LP leaders meet, denounce purported NEC meeting in Bauchi as illegal

Ex-parte order against Abure, unlawful, says Kenneth Okonkwo

Chigozie Ikpo, Abuja

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party, LP on Wednesday in Abuja, discredited the purported NEC meeting plotted by the suspended Deputy National Chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa, and his associates, in Bauchi.

In a press conference at its secretariat, the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the party remains united despite the detractors whose aim is to infiltrate the party, cause distractions and work against its progress.

Ifoh said “In our own case about six of our former leaders who are now suspended and led by Lamidi Apapa, a suspended Deputy National Chairman, choose to paint their legs black for a few naira, to betray the worthy course of reclaiming Nigeria. They sold their conscience to the devil and made money their mammon.

As I address you now, six of them, in furtherance of the directives from their paymasters, are meeting in Bauchi for a fake and unlawful NEC.

“Surprisingly, this is coming barely two weeks after the party held its very successful NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta state capital that was attended by virtually all NEC members including 36 state chairmen and secretaries, all members of the National Working Committee, most of the elected members of the national assembly, leader and presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Peter Obi, party trustees including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) amongst others.”

Ifoh noted that Lamidi and his co-merchants invited the Presidential Candidate of the party in the last election, Mr. Peter Obi as well as the State Chairmen of the party, the 36 member-elect of the House of Representatives, and 8 Senators-elect within the party, to their meeting but they are present in the secretariat and are in solidarity with the leadership of the party.

He clarified that the party’s constitution does not permit suspended or expelled members of the party to constitute a NEC meeting, adding that the “desperate” group are just trying to satisfy their paymasters in the rulling party.

On the court case involving the National Chairman of the Party, Barr. Julius Abure, Ifoh described it as an unfortunate one but said the ex-parte order by Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court, Abuja was countered by a restraining order by Justice E.O Ahamioje of the Edo State High Court, issued on the same day.

“On the 5th of April, 2023, an Edo State High Court restrained the Labour Party Executive of Ward 3, Arue Uromi, Edo state from suspending Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of Labour Party. In the case filed before His Lordship, Justice E.O Ahamioje, with case NO. HCU/21/2023, Julius Abure on behalf of other claimants filed the Motion ex-parte against the defendants including Thompson Ehiguese who is the Ward 3 Chairman, Lucky Shaibu, and Labour Party.

“The enrolment orders include but not limited to an order of interim injunction restraining the party or officers of the party from suspending or expelling Abure, pending the determination of the motion on notice. On this, Justice Ahamioje after consideration of the claims granted an interim injunction restraining the defendants from suspending Abure.

Ifoh noted that both courts are of equal and coordinate jurisdictions, but Apapa and his associates decided to ignore the rulling by the Edo State High Court, and stormed the national secretariat alongside thugs, DSS, and the Police, in a bid to take over the complex and went ahead to award themselves offices without the knowledge of the NEC.

He described as absurd, the ex-parte order by Justice Muazu, saying it is only granted on extreme emergency cases but the case involving the National Chairman is an internal party affair and does not warrant an ex-parte order.

Also speaking, Spokesman of the LP PCC, Kenneth Okonkwo insisted that there was no faction in the Labour Party, saying that the party has only the legitimate party officers, meeting at the national party house.

“There is no faction in the party, by the law and constitution. There are processes by which the National Chairman emerges; first, you must be elected by the National Convention according to article 13 (1B) of the Labour Party constitution and even if there is a sudden vacancy in the party, it is still the National Executive Council that will replace the vacant office. So somebody cannot just walk from anywhere and start telling you he is the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

“The whole idea of what they are doing is that they are being paid to create a distraction, so that we do not focus on reclaiming our mandate which was stolen from us. My principal says what they are doing is a display of rascality.

Okonkwo also said that the ex-parte order by the FCT High Court against Abure is illegal and unlawful adding that such orders can only be made when there is a need to defend an applicant from an irreparable damage.

“A Judge used the instrumentality of an ex-parte order to infringe on the civil rights of a Nigerian citizen, this is illegal on its own. An Ex-parte order is the order of a court on the application of a party without hearing from the other party and it is against fair hearing, according to section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“The Supreme Court said Ex-parte orders should be used sparingly and only in cases when you need to defend an applicant from an injury of a great nature or an irreparable damage that might occur before you hear the other party.

“A political party is a human being recognized by law and the National Chairman is the head of the political party, so using the ex-parte order to tell the National Chairman not to do his work, for nothing, an innocent man that has not done anything, is wrong.

“The police report which they are parading with, the police themselves said it is a gossip and that nobody should use the report, how then is the court relying on such report?”

The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Party, Mrs. Ladi Illya, and attended by members of the NEC, NWC as well as all State Chairmen and Secretaries of the party.