Jimisayo Opanuga
The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has not been suspended by the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Utomi, and Esan North East of Edo State, the party has disclosed.
The LP’s statement follows a recent report alleging Abure’s suspension by the ward executive committee of Ward 3, Arue-Uromi, in Edo State.
However, the party’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, refuted this claim in a statement on Saturday.
Ifoh called the reports “fake news” and noted that only a National Convention can suspend the 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 a two-thirds majority can suspend or remove him,” Ifoh said.
He added that the ward, LG, or even the state has no powers under the constitution to suspend the National Chairman.
Ifoh also noted that the ward chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, had debunked the purported suspension, insisting that the ward is loyal to the chairman and aware that it lacks the powers under the party’s constitution to either remove or suspend a national chairman.
“The Court of Appeal, Benin Division, on the 14th day of August 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 the judgement of the lower court in their ruling that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or removed by the Ward Executive.”
Ifoh noted that the management of the party is investigating the source of the purported letter of suspension.
According to him, the party will act in accordance with party rules in disciplining any officer found guilty of contravening the party’s rules.
