The internal conflict within the Labour Party (LP) regarding its long-standing leadership dispute took a new turn on Thursday.
The Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, introduced a fresh development by nullifying all the out-of-season government primary elections organized by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure.
The court proceedings, initially scheduled in Owerri but moved to Abuja for security reasons, also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly recognize and publicize the names of the governorship candidates from Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states, who were selected by the National Working Committee led by Lamidi Apapa.
In addition, the appellate court dismissed the candidacy of Senator Athan Achonu in the upcoming Imo State governorship election.
Speaking to the press in Abuja, Apapa emphasized that the court’s decision had reinforced the fact that Abure was not the legitimate chairman of the party when the primaries were conducted. He also highlighted that the Federal High Court injunction restraining Abure from presenting himself as the LP chairman was still in effect.
Apapa said: “The matter in Edo State mainly concerns civil issues. The Edo Excos suspended him, which they have no authority to do, and this led to a court case. However, they lacked the authority to suspend him, especially at the ward level. On the other hand, the FCT (court) restraining order pertains to criminal matters and involves the state and Abure. Nobody is exempt from the law. This is the distinction between civil and criminal matters.”
“The FCT order has not been lifted, which is why the Court of Appeal has reaffirmed that during the time he conducted the primaries, the restraining order was in effect, and it remains valid today. This is the disparity between the two cases.”
Apapa, who leads a faction of the party, expressed willingness for reconciliation. He also criticized the presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 election, Peter Obi, for not adhering to the court’s judgment during the party’s recent major rally in Benin City.
Abure, however, countered Apapa’s statements in an exclusive phone conversation with The PUNCH, dismissing them as false. He maintained that Senator Athan Achonu remained their candidate and clarified that the lower court had refused to assume jurisdiction and decided that the status quo should be maintained. Abure further noted that they appealed the decision to prevent any potential misinterpretation. He asserted that neither the Federal High Court nor the Court of Appeal ruled in their favor and criticized what he perceived as propaganda from the opposing faction.
Likewise, the LP National Secretary, Umar Farouk, clarified that the ruling from the appellate court did not mention Abure’s name. He asserted that the report about the judgment was inaccurate and misleading.