Court refuses to lift suspension of Abure as LP national chairman

An FCT high court sitting in Maitama has adjourned till 12th May for ruling in the suit filed by aggrieved members of the Labour Party against its National chairman and 4 others over allegations of forgery levelled against them.

The suspension of Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party subsists as the court has refused to lift his suspension.

Eight aggrieved members of the party had approached the court for an order restraining Mr Abure and 4 others from parading themselves as National officers of the party.

The claimants had accused Mr Abure of forging court documents including receipts and the seal of the FCT High Court which they had allegedly used in the substitutions of Labour Party candidates in the 2023 general election.

The Nigerian police had conducted and investigated the allegations against Mr Abure, and a report that contained the findings of the police was presented by the claimant before the judge.

It was on this premise that the court granted the restraining order against the defendants.

An order the court is yet to vacate.

At the resumed sitting, the defendants in their preliminary objection argued that the claimant’s originating summons contains criminal allegations of fraud, forgery, perjury and criminal conspiracy, which cannot be determined through the Originating Summons procedure.

They argued that the action having not been initiated by due process of law is incompetent and liable to be struck out.

The resolution of issues on the leadership of the Labour Party is firmly rooted in the internal affairs of the party and is non-justiciable.

After taking arguments from parties the court subsequently adjourned till 20th May.