LP crisis: Apapa, Arabambi query suspension of Murphy, three others in Edo

Flowing from the notice of suspension placed by Kelly Ogbaloi, Chairman of a faction of the Labour Party (LP), in Edo State, on Murphy Imasuen (the party’s flagbearer for the election into the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency of the House of Representatives in February) and three other members of the party, the Alhaji Lamidi Basiru Apapa led faction, has in a statement made available to Popular News and co-signed by Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, the National Publicity Secretary of the faction,
countered the suspension order saying: “sequel to the subsisting FCT High Court Restraining Order of 5th April, 2023 on Abure and others, the National leadership of the labour party hereby refutes the criminal pronouncement of the suspended Edo State LP exco against Hon. Murphy Paul Imasuen and others.

“That NEC in session in Bauchi State on 3rd May, 2023 suspended Barr Julius Abure as a member of the Labour Party (LP) and other National Working Committee members and the 35 other states & FCT executive councils chairmen and secretaries.

“That Abure and others suspension resulted from their convening and participating in the illegal NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State on 18th April, 2023 in contempt of the FCT High Court Restraining Order of 5th April, 2023.

“That the FCT High Court restrained Julius Abure, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu Clement and Mrs Oluchi Okpara from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party(LP) due to their criminal involvement in: forgery, perjury and criminal conspiracy with financial malfeasance to the sum of over four hundred million naira (N400,000,000.00).”

“That NEC in session in Bauchi state on 3rd May, 2023 suspended Barr Julius Abure as a member of the Labour Party (LP) and other National Working Committee members and the 35 other states & FCT executive councils chairmen and secretaries.

“That Abure and others suspension resulted from their convening and participating in the illegal NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State on 18th April, 2023 in contempt of the FCT High Court Restraining Order of 5th April, 2023.”

Going further, Apapa stressed, “that the National leadership of the Labour Party wishes to authoritatively discard the illegal pronouncement of the suspended Edo state executive council and to warn them to desist from making any further statement touching on Labour Party LP owing to their suspension by NEC in Bauchi State on 3rd May, 2023.

“That Edo state is presently under the Acting State Executive Council leadership of Comrade John Okhukpe and is in charge of all labour party activities and pronouncements in line with NWC directives and approval.”