Breaking: LP crisis deepens as Edo chapter suspends Abure
The National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Julius Abure, has been suspended by the executives of the party in his Ward 3 Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.
This decision was ratified by the State Executive Committee of the party after the ward wrote to the SEC.
Abure’s suspension was sequel to a meeting of members of the ward where allegations of his “high-handedness and anti-party activities in the administration of the party and other acts of financial impropriety were exhaustively discussed.
The ward executives in the letter of suspension addressed to Abure dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the SEC on the night of Friday, May 24, 2024, in Benin, read in part, “…while the suspension is with immediate effect, you are advised to restrain from holding out or parading yourself as a member of LP in Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Ean North-East LGA, Edo State.”
The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.
The letter of ratification was forwarded to the SEC through the State Chairman by the LGA Chairman in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni and LGA Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.
It was gathered that the venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!”
The SEC considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.
With the ratification, the basis of his chairmanship of the party at the national level has been vitiated.
In response, Abure while speaking through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the action of the Edo State chapter was an exercise in futility because it lacks basis in law as enshrined in the LP constitution.
Ifoh said, “The 2019 Labour Party Constitution article 17 subsection 1 is clear that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal of the national chairman with a two-thirds majority can suspend or remove the chairman. The ward, LG or even the state have no power to suspend the national chairman.
“An Edo High Court and Appeal Court have ruled on this matter. This dimension is a continuation of the attack on the person of Abure as witnessed during the governorship primaries. It will also amount to nothing and we are not perturbed.”