Tag: Julius Abure

The Labour Party (LP) leadership tussle deepened  yesterday as its  National Transition Committee  (LPNTC) insisted that the  national chairman, Julius Abure, must resign.

The labour leaders, who stormed the venue of the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja, said  the tenure of Abure and others members of the NWC would expire by month end.

The meeting was convened by LP presidential candidate in last year’s election, Peter Obi.

As the labour leaders attempted to enter the venue, the police fired teargas to disperse them.

Transition Committee Chairman Comrade Abdulwahed Omar said it is “either we find our way forward or we make our way forward.”

Omar, a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said: “The issue at hand is that the tenures of Abure and the National Working Committee had expired by the end of this month. And there can not be a vacuum in leadership.

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“We have tried to do it peacefully. As much as possible, if we can resolve this issue without fighting, that will be good. But from what we have witnessed today, it appears certainly, that it is either we find our way forward or we make our way forward. This I assure you.”

He added: “We will not tolerate lawlessness, but if anybody decides to be lawless because he has power to pay and subvert our efforts, I want to assure that we are also capable of doing whatever anybody can do.  We can do more.”

Omar said the committee has been given the mandate by stakeholders to organise a new and an all-inclusive national convention.

Obi, who addressed the labour leaders outside the party secretariat, said he convened the meeting to reconcile aggrieved party members.

He urged the party leaders to reconcile aggrieved party members and supporters.

Obi said every discord within the party would be addressed in no distant time.

He said party leaders must sit at a table and decide the future of the party.

Obi said the reconciliation between the party and its estranged former leaders, led by former Deputy National Chairman (South), Lamidi Apapa ,was a welcome development.

He said: “Let me tell you one thing; their reconciliation is all about our party and I can assure you that everyone must reconcile with each other.

“During our meeting before we learnt that our people were outside, I told them that my first assignment was reconciliation, my second assignment was reconciliation and my third assignment, reconciliation.

 “I can tell you that what you witnessed earlier is a normal thing in our lives. I do the same thing. It is what I do every day, even in our families. When we quarrel with our wives and children, we reconcile. Even today, during the meeting, I made one instance which is that I have come to start the work of reconciling the family.”

Obi added: “So, these people here are members of the family who we must reconcile with. We are going to sit down around a table and decide the future of our party. I am ready for a reconciliation meeting any day you choose.

“And I like what happened here today. This means we have just started the reconciliation process and what we achieved today was so much, as I told you sometimes it happens in my house and I allow it because that is the only way I know how mature my children have become.”

Abure, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, expressed satisfaction with the leadership roles Obi has been playing in the party.

He said: “Labour Party is happy with your reconciliation project and we will give you all the supports. We are not the aggressor here, we have always wanted peace because we can’t  go into  future elections with a divided loyalty.

“We  have said that we are focused on 2027, that is why we are the only party that has produced its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We know where we are going and we have refused to be distracted. We will definitely get to our destination of giving Nigerians a better nation.”

Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has urged President Bola Tinubu to implement the Steve Oronsaye report, describing it as a necessary step for the administration.

He emphasised that the action, long overdue, would result in a significant reduction in public expenditure.

Abure commended the decision of the Tinubu administration to adopt the recommendations outlined in the 800-page report, which proposes the abolishment and merging of 102 government agencies and parastatals.

He stressed that previous administrations should have implemented the Steve Oronsaye report earlier, but current economic circumstances necessitate its enforcement to benefit the populace.

Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos at the weekend, Abure said the government should not hesitate to merge or scrap over bloated agencies to cut down on public expenditure and plough the funds into other productive ends considered priority areas by the administration.

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He said: “Labour Party under my leadership considers the decision to implement the Steve Oronsaye report as one of the rightful decisions of the Tinubu administration, which is not only timely but, will cut the cost of governance. It is the right step in the right direction. It will see the government scrapping or merging moribund agencies. Any decision by the administration to cut wasteful expenditures should be applauded. It is the appropriate thing to do.”

Abure also called on the Tinubu administration to look into sore areas in the country, including poor infrastructure, and the dwindling state of the economy, and consider urgent interventions.

He said the essence of getting political power by parties is to utilise it to improve a better life for the citizens and drive overall economic growth and development.

Abure said now that the Court of Appeal, Abuja has declared him as the authentic chairman of the Labour Party, the time is now ripe for all progressives to rally and offer their voices to reshape the country through their contributions towards effective harnessing the country’s human and natural resources.

While aligning his thoughts with Nigerians calling for a rise in the country’s minimum wage, Abure said it is difficult to give a definite figure because a lot of parameters need to be put into consideration.

He said: “I am now spurred by the Court verdict declaring me as the authentic chairman of the Labour Party to work harder and offer valuable services to the party and Nigeria.

“But, I must add that it is not just capturing power that matters, but what you do with political power. It should be considered as an end to a means to improve a better life for the people, stimulate economic growth and development of the people.”

He urged the Tinubu administration not to relent in fixing urgently the challenges of insecurity, poor infrastructure, and economic realities confronting the country.

Abure said: “The government must urgently look into the double-digit inflation, the rising cost of food items, and other challenges confronting the country.”

He said the party would pursue massive political enlightenment to galvanize the citizens’ orientation towards birth-improved governance.

Abure said: “This is the time for all progressive forces to come together and pursue cohesion, and peace to take the country to the next level driven on holistic electoral reforms and political education. We need to put all hands on the desk to make the country work better for our tomorrow.”

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the order by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) barring Julius Abure from further acting as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

In a unanimous judgment on Wednesday, March 6, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal faulted the competence of the suit on which basis the High Court of the fact issued the restraining order.

The High Court of the FCT had, in a ruling on April 5, 2023, by Justice Hamza Muazu restrained Abure from parading himself as the national chairman of the LP.

Justice Muazu equally barred Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Oluchi Opara and Clement Ojukwu, from further functioning as national secretary, national treasurer and national organising secretary of the party, restrictively, pending the determination of a suit before it.

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The restraining orders were issued upon a suit filed by eight aggrieved members of the party loyal to the Apapa faction.

The plaintiffs in the suit marked: CV/2930/2023, were Martins Esikpali John O., Lucky Shaibu, Isah Zekeri, Omogbai Frank, Abokhaiu Aliu, Ayohkaire Lateef, Job Elomah and Dr. Abayomi Arabambi.

The plaintiffs had prayed the court to among other things, declare that: “The 1st Defendant (Abure) cannot continue to function in office as the National Chairman of the 5th defendant as a result of his suspension by the Ward 03 Executive, Arue, Esan North East Local Government Area dated 31st March 2023.”

They also urged the court for “a declaration that the 1st — 4th Defendants cannot continue to remain in office as national chairman, national secretary, national treasurer and national organising secretary of the 5th Defendant consequent on the prima facie case of forgery, perjury and conspiracy established against them by the Commissioner of Police F.C.T and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory pending their prosecution in court.

However, the Court of Appeal, in its judgment read on Wednesday by Justice Hamma Barka, faulted the lower court, which it said wrongly assumed jurisdiction in the matter.

The appellate court held that the case of the plaintiffs was incompetent, noting that since they raised issues that bordered on fraud and criminality, they ought to have commenced the action through a writ of summon which would allow parties to call witnesses and tender relevant documents in evidence.

It maintained that Justice Muazu was wrong when he held that the case could be effectively determined through an originating summon.

“Unless an action is initiated by a proper process of law, the action becomes a waste of time despite how competent it may be.

“An originating summons aims to speed up the process. But where there are serious issues of fact, it should not begin with an originating summon,” the appellate court held.

It further queried the statutory powers of Ward Executives of a political party to suspend the national officers of the party.

More so, the appellate court held that issues the plaintiffs raised before the high court, bordered on the domestic affair of a political party which no court was permitted to delve into.

The appellate court allowed Abure’s appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/559/2023 and awarded a cost of N1million against the respondents.