By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The National chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has said the allegations by the suspended National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, that he collected N500 million from one of the Senate President candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Godswill Akpabio as a tissue of lies that is unfounded.
Fielding questions from journàlists yesterday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat, Abure said he never collected any money from Senator Akpabio.
On the issue of court ruling in Kano, Abure said though they still await the full text of the ruling, the matter in view remains a pre-election matter that can only be entertained by the tribunal and not a regular court.
Abure’s statement reads in parts: “It has become imperative for me to address this press conference to properly put the legal issues surrounding the leadership of the party on their proper perspectives for quite some time now about the leadership of the party.
“It is pertinent to state categorically and clearly that the Labour Party has no faction. The Labour Party has only one leadership and that leadership is the National Working Committee led by myself, Barrister Julius Abure.
“Recall that some few members of the party burgled themselves into the office and appointed themselves, four of them, as officers of the party acting on the purported and upon a restraining order, an ex parte order granted by the FCT High Court.
“A cursory look at the originating summons which is pending before the High Court of the FCT, Apapa and his cohorts asking that court upon granting their reliefs in the final judgement to direct the NEC to appoint interim National officers for the party.
“Out of desperation they are not patient enough to wait for the outcome of the final judgment but employed self-help and appoint themselves as National Officers of the Party.
“However, our objection to the court jurisdiction was overruled by Justice J. Muazu of FCT High Court on the 12th of May. On the same day, we filled a Notice of Appeal. Then on Wednesday 17th May, the Appeal was entered at the Court of Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/559/2023. Also we have filled our Appellant Brief of Argument which has been served on the trail courts.”
