•Abure, Otti and Obi
The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party took a new twist yesterday when the 29-man caretaker committee set up by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, warned Julius Abure to stop parading himself as the party’s national chairman.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the committee headed by Senator Nenadi Usman, announced that they were still in charge of LP affairs by virtue of the mandate given to them by stakeholders of the party at an emergency convention.
The new development comes barely 24 hours after Abure’s chairmanship was affirmed by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, reports Sunday PUNCH.
The court presided over by Justice Hamma Barka, relied on the judgment earlier delivered on November 13, 2024, in appeal number CA/Abj/CV/1172/2024 between the LP (appellant) against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and the Independent National Electoral Commission (respondents) to make the declaration.
Led by Justice Barka on Friday, the three-member panel, made the declaration in the judgement of two separate appeals filed by Usman, the caretaker committee and INEC.
But in a statement jointly signed by Usman and the National Secretary of the caretaker committee, Darlington Nwokocha, faulted the judgment and resolved to hold on to their earlier mandate.
Among other things, they alleged the lack of jurisdiction, error by the Federal High Court and violation of a fair hearing in their case.
The statement read, “As the duly recognised National Caretaker Committee Chairman and Secretary of the Labour Party, we, on behalf of ourselves and other members deem it necessary to issue this press release to clarify and set the records straight.
“The Court of Appeal affirmed that Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, filed before the Federal High Court by Julius Abure, was a leadership dispute, over which the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction.
“The Federal High Court erred and acted without jurisdiction by entertaining the leadership dispute brought before it by Julius Abure. The Federal High Court also violated our right to a fair hearing by failing to consider our Counter-Affidavit filed in opposition to the suit before it.
“Finally, we wish to remind the public that on 4th September 2024, the Labour Party constituted a National Caretaker Committee, appointing us as the national chairman and secretary. Both have been diligently and effectively carrying out their duties to the admiration of stakeholders and the entire membership of the party.”
