…Declares Purported Dissolution of Edo Exco Null and Void

Following the ratification of the suspension of Julius Abure from membership of the Labour Party by the Edo State chapter of the party, the Abdulwaheed Omar-led National Transition Committee (NTC) of the party has advised the suspended national chairman, Julius Abure, to keep off and stay away from the activities of the party in Edo State and elsewhere in the country.

In a press statement signed by the chairman of the NTC’s sub-committee on Media and Publicity, Comrade Tony Akeni, the committee cautioned Abure and those the NTC referred to as the “Nnewi Gang,” who claim “to have been re-elected to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at the disputed Nnewi convention, to keep off the party’s activities in Edo and Ondo states, as well as other parts of the country.”

The NTC had since declared that the national convention orchestrated by Julius Abure at Nnewi by what it described as a “fragment of questionable hangers of Abure”, was “a phantom charade and does not hold any legitimacy whatsoever.” 

The NTC emphasized again that the purported convention did not meet the requirements of the party’s constitution and was never monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in accordance with the law. 

Furthermore, the NTC strongly noted that Julius Abure has been suspended by the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, in Esan North East Local Government Area of the state via a letter dated May 14, 2024, an action which was further ratified by the state executive council in another letter dated May 24, 2024, and signed by the state chapter chairman, Mr. Kelly Ogbaloi, and secretary of the state chapter, Mr. Frederick Akhere. Both letters were submitted to INEC and the party’s national headquarters on Monday May 27, 2024 by leaders and supporters of the party who stormed the federal capital city for the purpose.

Comrade Tony Akeni, reiterated that any purported dissolution of the party’s executive council leadership in Edo state is a “figment of Abure’s imagination, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

The sub-committee chair stated that: “The Nigerian public, especially our party’s teeming supporters in Edo State should note that Abure’s suspension was appropriately ratified by all tiers of our party’s structure in the state, from the ward and local to state executive councils. The ward’s suspension dated Wednesday May 14, 2024 was confirmed at a meeting of the state executive council held on Friday May 17th in Benin City,” the NTC said. 

The Labour Party NTC said it is committed “to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that the party operates in accordance with its constitution. Any individual or group attempting to disrupt the party’s activities will face appropriate sanctions in due course. Let dissidents working with the suspended Abure therefore not test our magnanimity of patience and the whiplash of the long rope they are tramping on.”

“We hereby advise the suspended former national chairman of our party, Julius Abure, to desist from parading himself as a member of Labour Party, or undertaking activities that undermine the labours of our authentic party leaders in Edo state and our party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election. We recognize and uphold his suspension by the executive committee of his Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo state and ratification of his suspension by the LGA and state executive councils.

“The Labour Party upholds the principles of transparency, accountability and adherence to its constitution. As things stand today, by virtue of his suspension as ratified by all constitutional strata of our party, Julius Abure is not a member of the Labour Party. Not even an ordinary member. Any individual who has been suspended by the party’s executive committee must respect the decision and refrain from engaging in any activity on behalf of the party as it is fraudulent and criminal to do so. 

“Julius Abure is hereby advised to comply with the his suspension. If he is still interested in being a member of the Labour Party, he should work diligently to mend his ways, submit himself to accountability and amend the many egregious breaches of our party’s constitution which he stands confirmed of committal to enhance his chances of being re-admitted to the party. This is what he should do instead of committing fresh and even more serious offences of impersonation which he has just committed by his purported but futile dissolution of our Edo state exco.

“We call on the able leadership of Bishop Samuel Omede and other strata leaders of our Edo State chapter of Labour Party, from the wards to state level, to focus on the forthcoming governorship election to deliver the candidate of our party, Barrister Olumide Akpata. And to deal effectively with any distracting or betrayal antics of the suspended national chairman or any attempt by his Nnewi gang to derail our party. Our party leaders, stakeholders and genuine Obidients in Edo must make sure that Abure’s divisive expeditions and distractions are overcome to enable our party win Edo State and win the governorship election decisively,” the NTC stated. 

Recall that the Labour Party transition committee was recently inaugurated in line with the resolution of the Board of Trustees of Labour Party and nationwide stakeholders led by the Political Commission of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) following the expiration of the tenure of the National Executive Committee of the party, with a mandate to reposition the party and organise an all-inclusive party’s national convention after relevant congresses have been held nationwide from the wards to the state levels.

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