A State High Court in Benin yesterday restrained the Labour Party and all of its members from suspending its national officers until the motion on notice was decided.
A lawyer for the Labour Party, G. C. Igbokwe (SAN), confirmed to journalists that he had obtained a High Court order directing the maintenance of the status quo and prohibiting any actions that might lead to the suspension of any national officers of the party.
“Our attention has been drawn to a later order purportedly from another court of equal jurisdiction restraining my clients,” the Senior Advocate said. Naturally, such an order is meaningless and will not take effect until the motion on notice has been decided.
Recall that on Monday, the State, Local Government, and Ward executives of the Labour Party in the state of Edo, along with Abure, who had reportedly been suspended by a party faction, passed a vote of confidence in Abure.
The party recalled earlier announcements that the LP national chairman had been suspended from office by some groups claiming to be ward three party executives in Edo State, led by the ward’s chairman, Martins Osigbemhe.
The chapters stated, however,during a solidarity visit to Abure at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, that the Osigbemhe faction is unknown to the party and is working for the opposition political parties.
Kelly Ogbaloi, the party’s chairman for the state of Edo, told newsmen that no group or member of the party had the authority to suspend a national officer under the party’s constitution.
According to Ogbaloi, their action is motivated by ignorance noting that since Abure was chosen at a national convention, “imposters” who are not officially registered party members cannot suspend him adding that those responsible did not even comprehend the message they were expected to convey.
