LP state chairpersons take control of party HQ, insist Abure remains national leader

State chairpersons of the Labour Party (LP) have taken control of the national secretariat in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Lamidi Apapa, deputy national chairman of the Labour Party (south), had on Wednesday, declared himself the leader of the party.

The declaration came after Julius Abure, the embattled national chairman, alleged that thugs aided by police officers invaded the secretariat.

The LP leadership crisis worsened after an FCT high court restrained Abure from functioning as the national chairman.

Speaking on Friday at the party’s HQ in Abuja, the state chairpersons insisted that Abure remains the recognised leader.

Ogbaloi Kelly, chairman, Edo state LP, said members of the Apapa-led faction had been suspended by the party.

“Those who are taking this action are members of the party who have since been suspended, and as at the time they took this action, their suspension had not been lifted,” he said.

“Therefore, we are saying here that the 36 state chairmen have come to retake their possession.

“These miscreants who took over the office do not have the authority to control this matter, but we here have the authority and law to be in charge of the party and we affirm Abure.

“We have come here to tell the world that the action of this faction is a total nullity and should be disregarded because the action does not follow the content of the rules and constitution of the Labour Party.”

Cashmir Agbo, Enugu LP chairperson, said there is a need for members to be guided by the constitutional provisions of the party.

“The position of the party and the mechanism in the resolution of crises are very clear. In the constitution, you have to exhaust that mechanism in court,” he said.

“You go to court and obtain a court order and you want to enforce that order by yourself.

“What I am saying in effect is this that they mixed criminality with civil process and the court that gave them that order endangered law.”

Agbo said the LP crisis is instigated by those against the challenge of the presidential election in court.

“What they are doing is to enforce their will and distract and force labour party nationwide to withdraw the case in court,” he said.

Agbo added that it is only the national executive committee of the party that can remove Abure.