The National Working Committee of the Labour Party has dismissed the suspension of its national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, by Ward 3 executives in Arue-Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government, as invalid.
Reports from DAILY POST indicated that the State Working Committee had endorsed the alleged suspension of the party’s national chairman in Benin City on the night of Friday, May 24, 2024.
In a response issued on Saturday, May 25, 2024, the National Working Committee clarified that the executives of Ward 3, Arue-Uromi, Esan North-East, Edo State, do not have the authority to suspend the national chairman.
The party’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, stated in a statement dated May 25, 2024, that Ward 3 chairman Thompson Ehiguese lacks the constitutional power to remove or suspend a national chairman.
Ifoh also mentioned that Ehiguese, in a viral video, denied the suspension, asserting that the ward leadership remains loyal to the chairman and is aware that they do not have the authority to suspend or remove him.
He emphasized that neither the ward, local government, nor state level has the constitutional power to suspend the national chairman.
“On August 14, 2023, the Court of Appeal, Benin Division, presided over by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, upheld the lower court’s decision in a case involving Lucky Shaibu and others against Julius Abure and others, ruling that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or removed by the Ward executive,” he said.
Ifoh added that the party leadership is investigating the origin of the purported suspension letter and will take disciplinary action against any party officer found violating party rules.
