On Thursday, Julius Abure, the Labour Party’s (LP) suspended national chairman, stormed the office and started working again.
According to newsmen, Abure as well as a few other national officers who had been suspended have returned to take up their respective responsibilities.
Abure explained his intention to return to work during a press conference held at the party’s secretariat by arguing that the FCT High Court’s order suspending him is no longer enforceable because the party had successfully appealed the verdict to the Court of Appeal.
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He implied that the high court is no longer competent to hear the case.
Additionally, Abure refuted claims that he raised 500 million Naira to support Godswill Akpabio for the position of the 10th National Assembly Senate President. These claims were made by the Lamidi Apapa-led wing of the party.
Additionally, he refuted claims that he was responsible for the assault on Apapa and his crew on Wednesday at the Presidential Election Tribunal.
According to the Labour Party Chairman, “A cursory look at the originating summons which is pending before the High Court of the FCT, Apapa and his cohorts asking that court upon granting their reliefs in the final judgement to direct the NEC to appoint interim National officers for the party.
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“Out of desperation they are not patient enough to wait for the outcome of the final judgment but employed self-help and appoint themselves as National Officers of the Party.
“However, our objection to the court jurisdiction was overruled by Justice J. Muazu of FCT High Court on the 12th of May. On the same day, we filed a Notice of Appeal. Then on Wednesday 17th May, the Appeal was entered at the Court of Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/559/2023. Also, we have filled our Appellant Brief of Argument which has been served on the trial courts.
“By necessary implication, the FCT High Court in Maitama ceases to have jurisdiction over the matter. The matter is now on the course list of the Court of Appeal. So, what the High Court judge is expected to do is to adjourn the matter sine-die.
“It is worthy of note that in 2021 in Suleiman V. APC reported in NWLR (2023) 5 NWLR 211-416 Supreme Court same Justice Muazu wrongly assumed jurisdiction. His decision jettison by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme. This report was communicated but surprisingly he went ahead to assume jurisdiction.
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“However, having appealed and file a motion for stay which has been served on the judge, I and my colleagues have now fully assumed our constitutional responsibilities as National Officers of the Party.
While denied receiving any funding from Senator Godswill Akpabio to support his bid for the Senate presidency, Abure asserted that it is appropriate to pay attention to any opposing political party.
He continued by saying that it was made clear during the discussion that it is up to the lawmakers to select the Senate President.
“An opposition political party says it is coming to visit you, it is that you listen to what they are coming to say. And so we obliged them the opportunity to solicit our support but we made it abundantly clear that the responsibility to appoint Senate President is that of the legislature and I want to make it very clear that no money was given,” Abure said.
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In a related development, the Abure-led faction was accused of conspiring with the All Progressive Congress (APC) and accepting 500 million Naira to support Akpabio’s campaign for the Senate presidency by the expelled former publicity secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, during a separate press conference.
According to him, the party may be in risk of losing the governorship and the senatorial seats it had won in the states of Abia and Kano if Abure and his team don’t submit the party’s member list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the deadline.
In addition to accusing Abure and the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of denying Arabambi and his colleagues access to party finances by changing the signatories to the account, Arabambi claimed that he and his colleagues had been receiving death threats if they ever returned to the tribunal.
“What is Abure doing with Akpabio? These are the people they took to court claiming they heh have a stolen mandate. They are playing on the intelligence of Nigerians. Obi will not see now that they are working against the party because all of them will share in the money they collected.
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“We may lose the only Governor we have, which is in Abia and also our positions in Kano because Abure failed to submit the register in line with the electoral act.
“We have been receiving threat to life, warning us to stay away from the tribunal. You saw what happened there yesterday. But we will go there whatever they want to do to us they should do,” he said.
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