The Labour Party’s National Working Committee has criticized the suspension of its National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the Edo State chapter, asserting that the action was taken without proper adherence to the party’s constitution.
According to the committee, the Edo State chapter lacks the authority to suspend Abure without following the procedures outlined in the party’s constitution.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, the suspension was deemed illegal and unconstitutional. Ifoh cited Article 17 Subsection 1 of the 2019 Labour Party constitution, which stipulates that only a national convention convened specifically for the purpose of suspending the national chairman, with a two-thirds majority, has the authority to do so.
He said, “The ward, LG or even the state have no power to suspend the National Chairman. Besides, an Edo High Court and Appeal Court had also 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.”
Abure’s suspension resulted from allegations of high-handedness and anti-party activities, as decreed by his ward in the Arue-Uromi area of Esan North-East Local Government in Edo State. This decision was subsequently endorsed by the state executive committee.
Letters confirming Abure’s suspension and its ratification were dated May 14th and May 15th, 2024, respectively, and were approved during a meeting of the state executive committee in Benin on Friday night.
The State Executive Committee, under the leadership of Kelly Ogbaloi, reportedly supported the decisions made by the ward and local government committee.
Attempts to contact Abure for comment on his suspension and the allegations against him were unsuccessful, as both of his phone lines were reportedly inactive at the time of reporting.
