National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, said Thursday that the opposition party remains intact without any faction, following his appeal against the Maitama, FCT High court ruling which temporarily removed as substantive chairman of the party.
Abure, who officially returned to his seat on Thursday following the listing of the appeal, announced his resumption as active national chairman of the Labour Party, in a media briefinh he held at he Labour Party national secretariat in Abuja.
Recall that an FCT High Court had last week restrained Abure from parading himself alongside three others as leaders of the party.
This is even as the Lamidi Apapa group accused Abure of romancing with the All Progressives Congress (APC), after he played host to former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, who took his senate presidency campaign to woo the Labour Party executive for their senators – elect support
National Publicity Secretary of the Apapa led group, Abayomi Arabambi had earlier accused the National Chairman of the Party of compromising with the All Progressives Congress to support Senator Akpabio in the race for the Senate President in the 10th assembly.
Arabambi described the party’s hosting of Senator Akpabio and his team as against the interest of the party, adding that it shows a dounble standard by Abure and his group, regretting that the same Labour Party is hobnobbing with the same party it is challenging its presidential candidate’s declaration as winner of the February 25 presidential election by INEC.
According to Abure, “It has become imperative for me to address this press conference to properly put the legal issues surrounding the leadership of the party on their proper perspectives for quite some time now about the leadership of the party.
“It is pertinent to state categorically and clearly that Labour Party has no faction. Labour Party has only one leader and that leadership is the National Working Committee led by myself, Barrister Julius Abure.
“Recall that some few members of the party burgled themselves into the office and appointed themselves, four of them, as officers of the party acting on the purported and upon a restraining order, an ex parte order granted by the FCT High Court.
“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.
“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.
“However, having appealed and filed a motion for a 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.”
The Labour Party chairman also denied any alleged compromise associated with playing host to Senator Goodwill Akpabio at the party secretariat explaining it was a tour of political parties for support and the Labour Party was one of the many parties visited.