Against the fake news being disseminated in the media, the national chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure has not been suspended by the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Utomi, Esan North East of Edo state.
Thompson Ehiguese, the Chairman of the Ward has also in a viral video debunked the purported suspension insisting that the Ward leadership is loyal to the chairman and also very much aware that it lacks the powers under the constitution of the party to either remove or suspend a national chairman.
In the Labour Party’s constitution, Article 17 subsection 1 (2019) is emphatic that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal or suspension of the National Chairman with two third majority can suspend or remove him. The ward, LG or even the state have no powers under the constitution to suspend the National Chairman.
Court of Appeal, Benin Division on the 14 day of August , 2023 under the Presiding Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua in a case brought before it by Lucky Shaibu and others against Julius Abure and others corroborated with the judgement of the lower court in their ruling that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or removed by the Ward executive.
The leadership of the party is however investigating the source of the purported letter of suspension and will summarily act in accordance with the party rules in disciplining any officer of the party found guilty of contravening the rules of the party.
