The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State worsened yesterday as the executives of Arue Ward 03 in Esan North East local council of the state, slammed suspension on the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, over alleged forgery and anti-party activities.
 
However, the national leadership of the party has dismissed the suspension, describing it as the handiwork of opposition parties plotting to distract the party. 
 
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Ward Chairman, Martins Osigbemhe, explained that Abure was suspended by the executive pending determination of petitions and cases against him in courts. 
 
The chairman, while reading the statement of Abure’s suspension signed by seven out of the 11-member ward executive, accused Abure of illegally substituting candidates of the party in the recently concluded general elections. 
 
He also accused Abure of indulging in anti-party activities with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that led to the failure of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential elections and some states elections. 
 
The Ward Chairman said among others: “We, the LP Ward Executive Council in Ward 03 – Arue in Esan North East LGA (04) of Edo State (12), do hereby suspend Barr. Abure Julius indefinitely as the National Chairman of LP with the following identification: PU 007-UromiUzenema Primary School I, VIN: 90F5B 0514C 29569 9662, DOB-Y: 1971, pending the determination of petitions and cases against him in courts including ongoing police investigations with warrants of arrest for criminality and gross violation of the LP’s Constitution 2019 as amended.
 
“Abure and his executive members – Alhaji Farouk Ibrahim, National Secretary; Ojukwu Clement, National Organising Secretary of LP, Hon. Jioke Godwin, Factional Chairman of the party in Ebonyi State, were accused of forging the signature of one Mr. Eze Oko, the actual winner of June 9, 2022, governorship primary and replacing him with one Nkwegu Edward Okereke as governorship candidate of the party in the state.
 
“Abure’s forgery and perjury against authentic LP candidates through illegal substitution of their names without their voluntary withdrawal and subject to the evidence of non-applicability of the police report of indictment and Court warrant of arrest against Barr Julius Abure and some other National working Committee members. 
 
“Abure’s indulgence in gross anti-party activities with the opposition APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that led to the failure of the LP in the 2023 presidential, and some National and States elections through unlawful association and proclamations against LP candidates.”National Secretary of the party, Farouk Umar, has however, described those behind the suspension as ignorant.

According to him, the party’s constitution is clear on who can suspend and who cannot suspend the national chairman, adding that “they should go and read the party constitution.”
 
Recall that some members, who claimed to be ward executives of the party, had announced Abure’s suspension from the party over alleged forgery and anti-party activities.
 
Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, the Ward Chairman, Martins Osigbemhe, explained that Abure was suspended by the executive pending the determination of the numerous petitions and cases against him in courts. 
 
Martins, while reading the statement on Abure’s suspension signed by seven out of the 11-member ward executive, accused Abure of illegally substituting candidates of the party in the recently concluded general election. 
 
But the national secretary of the party, Umar, clarified that it is only the national convention that can suspend the national chairman of the party, saying it also must also be through such a convention called for the purpose of the suspension of the national chairman.
 
He said: “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party was called to the press conference held today, Friday, March 31, 2023, by some unknown faces assembled in one room in Abuja wherein they pronounced a suspension on our national chairman, Julius Abure. They also made some spurious allegations against him, which are untrue and concocted by the sponsors of the press conference.  We however deemed it fit to make some responses. 
 
“The young men we saw on those visuals are apparently not anybody from Labour Party in Edo State as claimed. The executives of the party in the state, local government and my ward are well known to the party. None of them were at the press conference. We make bold to say that they are people assembled and rented from some Abuja slums and paid to read a prepared speech given to them.
 
“Again, our party constitution is clear on who can suspend and who cannot suspend the National Chairman. They should go and read the party constitution. It is only the national convention that can suspend the national chairman of the Labour Party. It also must be through such a convention called for the purpose of the suspension of the national chairman. 
 
“We think that the sudden suspension was an after thought of some opposition parties purely to distract the leadership of the Labour Party at this time. There is no reasonable party member at this point in time who will be thinking of such a thing when we are pursuing our presidential mandate in the court and all other mandates including the governorship, Senate and House of Representatives that were brazenly stolen. Who will be contemplating the suspension of any national party official at this point in time?
 
“It is on record that for the first time in the history of the party, the Abure-led leadership has succeeded to change the political narratives in the country. A party from the blues competing with the top two political parties and in the process, winning eight Senate and 34 House of Representatives as well as numerous House of Assembly seats. We also won a governorship seat while we are in court to retrieve other mandates including the Presidency. 
 
“This is certainly not a matter that should be given serious attention by the media.”