Breaking: Appeal Court Sacks Julius Abure-Led Faction Of Labour Party Governorship Candidates In Bayelsa, Imo & Kogi

By Eragbe Anslem

The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri on Thursday, 20th July, 2023, has sacked the governorship candidates of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States respectively for the November 11th 2023 gubernatorial election.

The Court of Appeal in its ruling further upheld the governorship candidates of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States respectively for the November 11th 2023 gubernatorial election.

Recall that Lamidi Apapa the then Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) assumed the position of the Acting National Chairman of the party on the 6th of April, 2023, as a result of the FCT High Court Restraining Order on the 5th of April, 2023, that removed Julius Abure the then National Chairman from office, including three other national officers of the party.

The Labour Party (LP) was faced with so much tension and unrest, as a result of Julius Abure’s suspension as national chairman of the party, and subsequent suspension as a member of the party from his Ward in Esan, Edo State, which also affected three other National Working Committee members of the party.

Recall that the Nigeria Police Investigation and Forensic Audit Report indicted Julius Abure, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu Clement and Mrs Oluchi Okpara for: Forgery, Perjury and Criminal Conspiracy over unlawful substitution of party candidates in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

The Nigeria Police Investigation and Forensic Audit Report that indicted Julius Abure and others warranted an emergency National Working Committee meeting where Lamidi Apapa was nominated to assume office in the capacity of the Acting National Chairman of the party on the 6th of April, 2023.

With the above decision of the national working committee of the party, Lamidi Apapa was conferred with the mandate for the conduct of the governorship primary elections of the party in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States respectively, for the November 11th 2023 gubernatorial election.

Surprisingly, Julius Abure whom the court restrained with an Order, in disobedience went ahead to conduct parallel governorship primary elections of the party in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States respectively for the November 11th gubernatorial election.

While the Acting National Chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa in obedience of the National Working Committee’s decision conducted valid governorship primary elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States respectively for the November 11th gubernatorial election.

Dissatisfied with Abure-led faction of governorship primary elections, one of the aspirant, Basil Maduka who was featured in Abure’s illegal primary election on the 15th of April, 2023, approached the Federal High Court in sitting in Owerri in a suit challenging the illegal primary elections conducted by the Abure-led faction.

The Federal High Court sitting in Owerri on the 23rd of June, 2023, in a considered judgment acknowledged the governorship candidates of the party that emerged from the Lamidi Apapa-led faction governorship primary elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States respectively.

In dissatisfaction with the judgment, the Julius Abure-led faction approached the Court of Appeal, and in an unanimous decision on Thursday, 20th July, 2023, the Court dismissed the Appeal and upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court on the 23rd of June, 2023.

Delivering judgment after hearing the submissions and arguments of counsels to both parties on Thursday, 20th July, 2023, the three (3) man panel of Judges in an unanimous decision, dismissed the Appeal for lack of merit and competence.

The implication of the judgment is that, it is only the governorship candidates that emerged from the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party are validly nominated candidates of the party for the November 11th gubernatorial election in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States respectively.