The crisis rocking Labour Party took a fresh dimension Wednesday as two conflicting court orders from two courts, one in Abuja and another in Benin, were issued against and in favour of some the national officers and some suspended members of the party respectively.
In the latest order, a State High Court sitting in Benin Wednesday issued an order restraining Labour Party and all its members from any suspension or purported suspension of its national officers till the determination of motion on notice.
The earlier order issued by an Abuja High Court still on Wednesday restrained the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, National Secretary, Farouk Ibrahim and two others from parading themselves as National Officers of the party.
Others stopped from parading themselves as National Officers are the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu and one other.
Justice Hamza Muazu issued the restraining order while ruling in ex-parte application argued by Chief James Onoja, SAN .
But in a statement signed by the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Umar Farouk, the party confirmed that its lawyer G. C. Igbokwe (SAN) has gotten a High Court order that status quo be maintained and no action which may result to the suspension of any national officer of the party be taken.
The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to a latter order purportedly from another court of equal jurisdiction restraining my clients. Of course, such order is of no consequence and will have no effect untill after the determination of the motion on notice.”
“Recall that the entire leadership of Labour Party in Edo state including the state, local government and ward executives on Monday had passed a vote of confidence on Abure, who was allegedly suspended by a factional group of the party.
“The party recalled that some groups who claimed to be ward three executives of the party in Edo State, led by the Ward’s Chairman, Martins Osigbemhe, had earlier announced the suspension of the LP national chairman.
“However, in a solidarity visit to the Barrister Abure at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the chapters said the Osigbemhe faction are unknown to the party and are working for the opposition political parties.
“Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the party, while addressing newsmen said that the constitution of the party did not empower any group or party members to suspend a national officer.
Ogbaloi said that since Abure was elected by a national convention, “imposters “who are not registered party members cannot suspend him, so their action is out of ignorance. Those who did it don’t even understand the message they were asked to deliver.”
“No date has been fixed for hearing.”
