Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party, has been suspended amid controversy following allegations of illegal forgery and anti-party activity by the executives of his Ward 3 in Arue, Esan North East Local Government Area (O4), Edo State.
At a press conference in Abuja, a member of the Ward Executive, identified as Martin Osigbemhe, announced Abure’s suspension.
Osigbemhe claimed Abure conspired with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to sabotage the party’s presidential election campaign on February 25.
He said: “We, the Labour Party Ward Executive Council in Ward 03-Arue, in Esan North East Local Government Area O4 of Edo State (12), do hereby suspend Barr Abure Julius Odianosen indefinitely as the National Chairman of the Labour.”
But in a swift response, the National Secretary, Mallam Farouk Umar, dismissed the suspension of Abure.
He claimed that the suspension was a plot by some opposition parties to distract the leadership of the Labour Party at this time the party is busy trying to retrieve its stolen mandates in court.
He added that under Labour Party’s constitution, it is only the National Convention that can suspend the national chairman and this must be through a convention called for the purpose of the suspension.
“Again, our Party Constitution is clear on who can suspend and who cannot suspend the National Chairman. They should go and read the party constitution. Only the National Convention can suspend the National Chairman of the Labour Party. It also must be through such a convention called for the purpose of the suspension of the National Chairman,” the statement read.
“We think that the sudden suspension was an afterthought of some opposition parties purely to distract the leadership of the Labour Party at this time. There is no reasonable party member now who will be thinking of such a thing when we are pursuing our presidential mandate in the court and all other mandates including the governorship, Senate and House of Representatives that were brazenly stolen.
“Who will be contemplating the suspension of any national party official now? It is on record that for the first time in the party’s history, the Abure-led leadership has succeeded in changing the country’s political narratives.
“A party from the blues competing with the top two political parties and in the process, winning eight Senate and 34 House of Representatives as well as numerous House of Assembly seats. We also won a governorship seat while we are in court to retrieve other mandates including the presidency.”
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