Fresh crisis in LP as county commissioners suspend Abure over alleged suspension — Nigeria — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

They have no such powers, the party insists

Leaders of the Labour Party (LP) in Arue-Uromi Ward 3 in Esan North-East Local Government Area of ​​Edo State have suspended the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure, over alleged arrogance and anti-party activities.

However, the party’s national spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, refuted the development, describing it as fake news. The decision of the district leadership, however, received the blessing of the party’s state executive committee, which ratified it after the district wrote it an official letter.

At a press conference last Friday evening in Benin City, the Edo State capital, attended by state and local council chairmen and other party members, the LP Chairman in Esan North East Local Council, Patrick Onogbenin, disclosed that he received a letter on May 14, this year, from the Third District Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, detailing the suspension of Abure from Arue Third District.

According to Onogbenin, he subsequently discussed the issues raised with other members of the party executive committee in the local council and, after concluding that the reasons for the suspension were serious enough, submitted a letter to the national executive committee requesting that the suspension be ratified.

The party’s national chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi, who received and read out the two letters, said that given the contents of the letters and the reasons given for the suspension, the national executive committee had no choice but to ratify them.

“The State Executive is normally extremely reluctant to accept a situation like this, but I must tell you that we are very constrained tonight and have no means of rejecting this presentation.

“This is all the more true since it actually comes from the municipality where Julius Abure comes from. We therefore do not find the slightest evidence that could prevent us from agreeing to the suspension.

“On behalf of the State Executive Council, we have ratified the suspension. Please take note that you have been suspended from your membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North-East Local Council, Edo State.

“This decision was made after careful deliberation by the members of the district, taking into account your arbitrary conduct, your anti-party activities in the party administration and the countless other allegations of fraud made against you, which are currently under investigation.”

In an immediate reaction, the party’s national spokesman, Obiora, said the media was spreading false news and insisted that Abure could not be suspended from the county executive.

He said: “Thompson Ehiguese, the district chairman, has also refuted the alleged suspension in a video circulated online, stressing that the district leadership is loyal to the chairman and is also well aware that under the party constitution, it does not have the power to remove or suspend a national chairman.

“The Labour Party Constitution specifically states in Article 17(1) (2019) that only the National Convention, convened for the sole purpose of removing or suspending the National Chairman, can suspend or remove him by a two-thirds majority. The district, state or even state chairman have no powers under the Constitution to suspend the National Chairman.

“The Benin Divisional Court of Appeal on August 14, 2023, presided over by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, in a case brought by Lucky Shaibu and others against Julius Abure and others, affirmed the judgment of the lower court and held that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or dismissed by the District Executive.

“However, the party leadership is investigating the source of the alleged suspension letter and will promptly take disciplinary action in accordance with party rules against any official found to be violating party rules.”