Lamidi Apapa, the acting national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has filed a petition with the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, seeking the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to remove Julius Abure, the embattled national chairman of the party, from its national secretariat.
In the lawsuit presented before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, Apapa also requested a permanent injunction to prevent Abure and three other suspended national officers from representing themselves as the party’s national chairman and officers.
Apapa, alongside Lawal Saleh, acting national secretary; Anslem Eragbe, national youth leader; and LP, are the plaintiffs in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/777/23, represented by their lawyer, Anderson Asamota.
The plaintiffs have brought forward accusations against Mr. Abure, the suspended national chairman, Farouk Umaru, the suspended national secretary, Ojukwu Clement, the suspended organizing secretary, Oluci Opara, the suspended national treasurer, and the IGP, listed as the first to fifth defendants, respectively.
In the newly filed case dated June 1, the plaintiffs seek nine specific remedies, including “an order to invalidate all activities, decisions, documents, or correspondences carried out by the first to fourth defendants after being restrained by the FCT High Court on April 5, and suspended by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party on May 3, 2023.
They also request a mandatory injunction compelling the first to fourth defendants to account for all funds received on behalf of the party and to return or refund said funds.”
The plaintiffs, who describe Mr. Abure and the three co-defendants as “illegal occupants,” urge the court to evict them from the party’s national secretariat located at No. 2, IBM Haruna Street, Utako, Abuja.
They further argue that, in accordance with Articles 13 (2)(B)(xvii), 17(ii), and 19(2)(C) & (3)C of the Labour Party’s constitution, 2019 (as amended), the NEC possesses the authority and obligation to take disciplinary measures against members and national officers involved in misconduct.
According to the party’s constitution, the plaintiffs assert that Mr. Abure, having been suspended by the NEC, lacks the right to present himself as the national chairman, a privilege reserved only for party members, among other requests.
In an affidavit submitted by Mr. Eragbe, it is stated that an FCT High Court had previously restrained the first to fourth defendants from parading themselves as national chairman and national officers of the party as of April 5.
It is further affirmed that despite the restraining order, they persisted in representing themselves as party officers in various forums and meetings, displaying blatant disregard for the court’s ruling.
Based on these actions, Mr. Eragbe explains that the NEC, in its May 3 meeting, adopted a resolution to suspend the four individuals, citing their repeated contempt of the restraining order, involvement in fraudulent activities, and anti-party conduct, particularly in relation to the conduct of pseudo-gubernatorial primaries in Imo State, Bayelsa State, and Kogi State, held on April 15, 2023.