Justice Hamza Muazu of a High Court in Abuja, on Friday
granted an order of stay execution on the suspension of Julius Abure, Chairman
of the Labour Party and others.
Others are the National Organizing Secretary, Mr Clement
Ojukwu and National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, from parading themselves as LP
national officials,
The plaintiffs in the case are Martins Esikpali John; Lucky
Shaibu; Isah Zekeri; Omogbai Frank; Abokhaiu Aliu; Ayohkaire Lateef; John
Elomah and Dr Ayobami Arabambi.
They had in an ex-parte motion, marked M/7082/2023, sought
the removal of Abure and the three other national officers of the party which
the judge granted the order of suspension
The judge after listening to arguments from the parties
granted the order for stay execution pending the determination of the appeal
filed by the defendants.
Justice Muazu had on April 5 issued an interim injunction
stopping Abure, Ibrahim and the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Mr Clement
Ojukwu and National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, from parading themselves as
national officers of LP.
This was contained in an ex-parte motion, marked
M/7082/2023, brought before the court by the eight plaintiffs.
At the sitting today, the defendants told the court that
they have a notice of appeal pending at the court, of appeal.
After many arguments from the parties, the judge granted an
order for a stay on the suspension.
Following the April 5 ex-parte injunction made by Justice
Muazu, stopping Abure, Ibrahim and two other national officials of the party,
Alex Ejesieme, SAN had on April 20 argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to
entertain the matter.
The senior advocate had submitted that the matter before the
court bordered on the internal affairs of the Labour Party, adding that
criminal allegations made by the plaintiffs in the case, could not be
ventilated in an origination summon.
He added that the eight plaintiffs that brought the case
before the court were not members of the National Executive Council of the
party and as such lacked the locus standi to institute the case.
According to Ejesieme, “Our contention is very clear that
those criminal allegations cannot be ventilated in an origination summon.
“The issue of locus standi is there. When you referred to
LP’s constitution, the claimants are not members of NEC or the party.
They have a duty to present their membership cards to the
court which they didn’t.”
While objecting to the preliminary objection raised by the
counsel for Abure, counsel for the plaintiffs, Mr George Ibrahim, urged the
court to dismiss same.
According to him, the first to fourth defendants had yet to
obey the April 5 order of the court as they were still parading themselves as
national officers of the LP.
With the ruling of the court on having jurisdiction to hear
the case, its order of April 5 subsists.
The judge then adjourned until today to hear the substantive
case.
Earlier, the plaintiffs had informed the court, through
their counsel, Ogwu Onoja SAN, that Abure and the three other national
officials allegedly forged several documents of the FCT High Court, including
receipts, seals and affidavits, to carry out unlawful substitutions in the last
general election.
Onoja argued that following their indictment by the police
investigation, the four people are to be arraigned in court, adding that
warrants for their arrest have already been obtained. (NAN)
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