Appeal Court Sacks Abure as Labour Party National Chairman, Affirms Lamidi Apapa
…Orders INEC to Recognise Apapa-led NWC, Governorship Candidates
There is confusion as the Court of Appeal in Owerri on Thursday sacked Julius Abure as Labour Party National Chairman and, in the same judgement, recognised Lamidi Apapa as the National Chairman of the party.
The court equally ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately recognise and publish the names of all the governorship candidates produced by the Apapa-led National Working Committee NWC in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states.
The court also dismissed Senator Athan Achonu, the governorship candidate of Imo State and others from the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party.
The Street Reporters Newspaper recalls that in April, Apapa said his suspension as a member of the party was invalid, noting that he remained the ‘legitimate acting chairman.’
On August 14, a Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City, Edo State capital, affirmed Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Abure-led faction, Obiora Ifoh.
However, recall that on April 2023, the FCT High Court upheld a Restraining Order it imposed on Julius Abure and three (3) others: Umar Farouk Ibrahim, National Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, National Organizing Secretary and Mrs. Oluchi Okpara, National Treasurer from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party (LP).
The order came after the Nigeria Police Investigation & Forensic Audit Report indicted Julius Abure, National Chairman, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, National Secretary, Ojukwu Clement, National Organizing Secretary and Mrs Oluchi Okpara, National Treasurer for alleged: Forgery, Perjury And Criminal Conspiracy with financial malfeasance to the tune of over four hundred million naira (N400,000,000.00), the basis upon which the FCT High Court restrained Abure and others.
Also recall that seven members of the party’s National Working Committee had invaded the secretariat where they announced the appointment of the National Vice Chairman (South), Lamidi Bashir Apapa, as Acting National Chairman.
In his maiden address, Apapa said his appointment was part of the outcome of an emergency meeting of the NWC which was a sequel to the judgement of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.
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