Hours after the suspension of Julius Abure as the Labour Party’s National Chairman, the party said the executives in Edo State lack the power to carry out such action.
LP in a statement by its spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, on Saturday described the purported suspension of Abure by the the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Utomi, Esan North East of Edo as fake.
“The ward, LG or even the state have no powers under the constitution to suspend the National Chairman,” the statement read.
“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.
“Court of Appeal, Benin Division on the 14 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 with 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, the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, said the party’s national leadership is investigating the letter emanating from Edo on Abure’s suspension.
He said the party won’t hesitate to discipline any member found guity of flouting the Labour Party’s rules.
“The leadership of the party is however investigating the source of the purported letter of suspension and will summarily act by the party rules in disciplining any officer of the party found guilty of contravening the rules of the party,” he stated.