The Court of Appeal in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, has upheld Julius Abure’s position as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, as stated by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Monday.
The three-member panel of justices reached a unanimous decision to reject the appeal brought forth by the appellant.
In the lead judgement, Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua affirmed the decision of the High Court of Edo State and held that one man cannot suspend the national chairman of Labour Party in line with Article 13 and 17 of the Constitution of the Party and the extant Electoral Act of 2022, particularly when the appellant has been described by the party as unknown.
As a reminder, the plaintiff, identified as Lucky Shauibu and reported to be a member of the Labour Party within Ward 3 Executive in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State, had imposed a suspension on Abure.
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Responding to the verdict, Comrade Julius Abure praised the judgment and the panel of justices for their refusal to overlook the fairness of the case. He also expressed gratitude to the dedicated team of lawyers, led by GC Igbokwe, SAN.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
“Court Of Appeal Affirms Abure As The National Chairman Of Labour Party”
“COURT of Appeal sitting in Benin City, Edo State capital has affirmed Comrade Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of Labour Party. In the case of Mr. Lucky Shaibu v. Julius Abure & 5 ORS (Appeal No: CA/B/93/2023), His Lordships Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua JCA, Fatima Omoro Akinbami JCA and Hon. Justice Sybil O. Nwaka-Gbagi JCA in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeal of the Appellant.
“It will be recalled that one Lucky Shauibu who claimed to be a member of Labour Party in Ward 3 Executive in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State suspended the chairman of Labour Party.
“In his lead judgment Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua JCA, affirmed the decision of the High Court of Edo State and held that one man cannot suspend the national chairman of Labour Party in line with Article 13 and 17 of the Constitution of the Party and the extant Electoral Act of 2022, particularly when the appellant has been described by the party as unknown.
“The court unanimously nullified the earlier suspension and all actions taken against Comrade Julius Abure and the party arising from the purported suspension.
“I thank the Obidient movement who tarry with me and Mr Peter Obi while the impostor Mr Lamidi Apapa and his adherents who tried to trade off the mandate freely given to the Labour Party with billions of Naira expended by his paymasters in the opposition parties”.
“GC Igbokwe, SAN the counsel to Comrade Julius Abure applauded the judgment describing it as sound, courageous and unimpeachable, reinstated that Comrade Julius Abure, Esq remains the national chairman of Labour Party until the party convention holds.
“Prest Aigbokhan, Esq lead counsel to Labour Party said the decision of the Court of Appeal has given a rest to the battle for the soul of the party.
According to him, “it is a landmark judgement that will stand the test of time. Anybody still associating with impostors parading themselves as factional leaders of the party does so at their own peril. Political parties must remain watchdog of national conscience.
SIGN
Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary
Labour Party
14-08-2023
Furthermore, Abure’s chief legal representative, Prest Aigbokhan, lauded the verdict, characterizing it as a robust and brave determination.
” It is a landmark judgment that will stand the test of time. Anybody still associating with impostors parading themselves as factional leaders of the party does so at their own peril. Political parties must remain watchdog of national conscience,” he stated.
Shortly after the circulation of the appeal court judgment, the Lamidi Apapa faction of the party expressed their disagreement with the report, asserting that the Benin court’s ruling solely pertained to his suspension.
Spokesperson of the LP faction, Abayomi Arabambi, emphasized that the restraining order from the Abuja High Court, which acknowledged Apapa as the acting national chairman, remains effective.
“Our party attention was drawn to misleading information that has been peddled around by some criminal elements loyal to the police-indicted former National Chairman of Labour Party Mr Julius Abure. Labour Party wishes to state categorically that our complaint in the appeal filed before the court of appeal bothered on his suspension as a member in Article 19(2)A of our party constitution which the three justices of the court of appeal did not take cognisance of and refused to make findings on.
“We are aware of the capacity of Peter Obi and Abure Julius to tamper with court proceedings and documents as evidence in the forgery perpetrated in Abuja FCT high court where the signature and seal of judges were forged by Abure Julius and which he boasted yesterday in Lagos with Peter Obi that nobody in Nigeria can probe or arraigned him in court and three others indicted by the police.
“Surprisingly, the same Abure has a pending appeal in the Supreme Court against this same set of justice which has been filed and served on us to arrest today’s judgment. But since they know it may not fly in the face of the law, Abure resorted to his trademark by engaging the services of unscrupulous elements in the Edo state high court to tamper with the records transmitted. What we don’t know is if Abure has now become the Chief Judge of Edo state to be able to commit any crime and get away with it
“The said missing document is in the transmitted copy with our lawyer and duly paid for, but unfortunately this singular criminal act that aided Julius Abure today at the court of appeal was the reason the three justices base their judgment on the suspension of Julius Abure,” Arabambi stated.