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The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed the suspension of its National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, by the Edo State chapter of the party over alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.
Abure was suspended by his Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State and the suspension was ratified by the LGA chapter of the party, and approved by the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party.
His suspension was said to be consequent upon a rigorous deliberation by members of the ward who cited his “high-handedness and anti-party activities in the administration of the party and other myriads of allegations of fraud” levelled him.
A letter of suspension by the Ward dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification by the LGA dated May 15, 2024, were both ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee held on Friday night in Benin City.
According to the ratification letter, “while the suspension is with immediate effect, you are advised to restrain from holding out or parading yourself as a member of Labour Party, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Esan North-East LGA, Edo State.”
The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.
The letter of ratification of his suspension, was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni and LGA Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.
The letter partly read: “The LGA executive met today, 15th of May, 2024 about 12 noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty and the suspension ratified and upheld.”
The State Executive Committee endorsed the decisions of the Ward and Local Government Committee of the party at a well-attended meeting on Friday night in Benin City.
In a swift reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, told THISDAY that the party was not perturbed by the attempt to remove the Abure from office, adding that the suspension was a nullity, citing Article 17 subsection 1 of the party’s constitution, which stipulates that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal of the National Chairman with two-third majority can suspend or remove the chairman.
In a statement Ifoh later issued, he insisted that the ward, Local Government or even the state has no powers under the constitution to suspend the national chairman.
The statement said: “Against the fake news being disseminated in the media, the national chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure has not been suspended by the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Utomi, Esan North East of Edo State.
“The Chairman of the Ward, Thompson Ehiguese, has also in a viral video debunked the purported suspension, insisting that the Ward leadership is loyal to the chairman and also very much aware that it lacks the powers under the constitution of the party to either remove or suspend a national chairman.
“In the Labour Party’s constitution, Article 17 subsection 1 (2019) is emphatic that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal or suspension of the National Chairman with two third majority can suspend or remove him. The ward, LG or even the state have no powers under the constitution to suspend the National Chairman.
“Court of Appeal, Benin Division on August 14, 2023, under the Presiding Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua in a case brought before it by Lucky Shaibu and others against Julius Abure and others, corroborated with the judgment of the lower court in their ruling that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or removed by the Ward executive.
“The leadership of the party is however investigating the source of the purported letter of suspension and will summarily act in accordance with the party rules in disciplining any officer of the party found guilty of contravening the rules of the party.”
Chuks Okocha
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