Labour Party Crisis: Ifoh Urges Obi and Otti to Respect Court Ruling on Abure’s Chairmanship

The Labour Party (LP) National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, says it would be unfortunate for the party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti to challenge the court order which affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the party.

Ifoh made the submission during an interview session published on Thursday by Punch.

He argued that Obi and Otti would be out of line to appeal the judgement since they were not a party to the suit in the first place, and any move to appeal the court ruling would show them as power grabbers.

It would be recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must officially recognise Julius Abure as the legitimate Chairman of the Labour Party.

In a decision delivered last Tuesday, Justice Nwite affirmed the leadership of the Abure faction of the party and validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention that established the current national leadership, directing INEC to acknowledge this authority.

The Labour Party faction loyal to Peter Obi, however, rejected the court ruling and vowed to appeal it.

Speaking on the possibility of an appeal, Ifoh urged Obi and others in his team to jettison such thoughts and subject themselves to the leadership of Abure in the interest of the party.

He added that the tenure of Julius Abure would not expire until 2028.

In his words, “It would be unfortunate if they toe that line, because you can’t appeal a judgment that you are not a party to. The Caretaker Committee is not a body known to the Labour Party constitution. It is not a body known to the electoral law or even to the constitution of Nigeria. So, they do not even have a locus. The body was not part of the suit. The suit was between the Labour Party and INEC. So, you cannot appeal what you are not involved in.

“There are so many instances in the Nigerian law that says if you are not a party to any suit, you cannot appeal. So, they have an alternative, maybe they can start a fresh suit. But their name, as I told you, is not even recognised by the law. It is not even in the constitution. It is not even registered. So, how will they start? You don’t just wake up one morning and put some names together and say who will listen to you. So, they don’t have any locus. But that is not even important.

“What is important is that the Labour Party has been in existence and we have our fair share of crisis, which has been firmly resolved in the interest of the party. So if ab initio they were arguing that the party is not recognised, and that is why they are pulling out and form the transition committee, now the court has said the party is recognised. So, what is the need going for appeal? That means they already have intentions to grab power. When you say they have any intention, it is that INEC said that this leadership is not recognised. But the court has said no, that this leadership is recognised. Why don’t you just fall in line and let the party grow? What will be their objection or the reason for appeal? Is it that you don’t like the leadership and want to bring your own leadership? So, that is the mentality of some of our politicians, which we are trying to change. If you don’t like the leadership, you will have to wait until its term expires in four years.

“For now, the leadership of Julius Abure will expire in 2028. That is what the law has said.”