Labour Party, national chairman, Julius Abure suspended
- Labour Party dismisses suspension of national chairman
Friday, the Labour Party dismissed the alleged suspension of its national chairman, Julius Abure, by its Ward Executive in the Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State, claiming that the perpetrators were backed by opposition parties.
Read Also Who Is Peter Obi That After Election, Nobody Is Resting, Everywhere Is Shaking — Charles Awurum
The LP stated that no reasonable party member would consider suspension while pursuing their presidential mandate before the Election Petition Tribunal and all other mandates, including Governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives mandates that were flagrantly stolen.
In a statement, the National Secretary of the LP, Farouk Umar, also attributed Abure’s alleged suspension to an opposition plot to distract the party.
Read Also Police Finally Arrest Portable
According to him, the party’s constitution was clear regarding who could suspend the national chairman and who could not.
Umar instructed them to “go and read the party’s constitution.”
Some party members claiming to be ward executives criticised Abure’s suspension for alleged forgery and anti-party activities.
Read Also : Court Freezes All 27 Abia State Government Bank Accounts
At a press conference, the Ward Chairman, Martins Osigbemhe, explained that Abure was suspended by the executive pending the resolution of the numerous petitions and court cases filed against him.
Martins, while reading the statement of Abure’s suspension signed by seven of eleven ward executive members, accused him of illegally substituting party candidates in the most recent general elections.
However, Umar clarified in a statement that only the national convention can suspend the national chairman of the party, and that it must also be the national convention that calls for the national chairman’s suspension.
He said, “The attention of the Labour Party’s leadership has been drawn to the press conference held today, March 31, 2023, by unidentified individuals gathered in a room in Abuja, where they announced the suspension of our national chairman, Julius Abure. In addition, they made false allegations against him that were fabricated by the press conference’s organisers. However, we deemed it necessary to respond.
“The young men depicted in these visuals do not belong to the Labour Party in Edo State, as has been claimed. The party is well acquainted with the party’s State, Local Government, and ward executives. They were not present at the press conference. We have the audacity to assert that they are slum dwellers assembled, rented, and paid to deliver a prepared speech.
“Again, our party’s constitution is clear regarding who can suspend the National chairman and who cannot. They must review the party’s constitution. Only the national convention of the Labour Party can suspend the national chairman. It must also be through such a convention that the national chairman is suspended.
“We believe that the sudden suspension was a last-ditch effort by opposition parties to distract the Labour Party leadership at this time.” No reasonable party member will consider this at this time, as we pursue our presidential mandate in court along with all other mandates, including the Governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives, which were flagrantly stolen.
Who will consider suspending a national party official at this time? It is documented that for the first time in the party’s history, the Abure-led leadership has succeeded in altering the political discourse in the nation. A party from the blues competed with the top two political parties and won eight Senate and thirty-four House of Representatives seats in addition to numerous House of Assembly seats. We also won a governorship while pursuing other mandates, including the presidency, in court.
“This is certainly not an issue that should receive serious media attention. We should normally be speaking with our attorneys at this point, but the fact that you are dealing with faceless individuals who have been sponsored is unusual.
“We are also urging Nigerians to distance themselves from politicians who take pleasure in defaming political leaders, particularly politicians who are afraid of Julius Abure’s rising profile,”