The Labour Party (LP) has refuted the reported suspension of its National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Utomi, and Esan North East of Edo State.
In response to recent claims of Abure’s suspension by the ward executive committee of Ward 3, Arue-Uromi, Edo State, the party’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, issued a statement on Saturday, labelling the reports as “fake news.”
Ifoh clarified that, according to the Labour Party’s constitution, only a National Convention specifically convened to remove or suspend the National Chairman, with a two-thirds majority vote, has the authority to take such action.
He stressed that neither the ward, local government, nor the state has the constitutional power to suspend the National Chairman.
Ifoh also mentioned that the ward chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, has dismissed the alleged suspension, reaffirming the ward’s loyalty to Abure and acknowledging its lack of constitutional authority to remove or suspend a national chairman.
“In the Labour Party’s constitution, Article 17 Subsection 1 (2019) is emphatic that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal or suspension of the National Chairman with a two-thirds majority can suspend or remove him,” Ifoh said.
“The Court of Appeal, Benin Division, on the 14th day of August 2023, under the Presiding Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua in a case brought before it by Lucky Shaibu and others against Julius Abure and others, corroborated the judgement of the lower court in their ruling that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or removed by the Ward Executive,” he added.
He disclosed that the Labour Party had launched an investigation into the origin of the purported suspension letter and would discipline any officer found guilty of violating party rules, in accordance with party regulations.