INEC Shuns Senator Nenadi’s INC, Invites Abure’s NWC
The Julius Abure- appointed Caretaker Committee leadership of the Abia State Chapter of the Labour Labour has been restrained by an Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia from parading itself as such pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice before it.
The Court order comes on the heels of the invitation to the Abure-led National Working Committee NWC by the Independent National Electoral Committee, INEC, meeting with political parties and major stakeholders in Abuja on Thursday October 17, 2024 .
The electoral umpire had, before now, refused to recognize the leadership ,citing the expiry of its tenure in June this year.
But INEC had to recant in the face of an Abuja Federal High Court order last week recognizing the leadership as enthroned by the Nnewi controversial Convention of the party early in the year.
On the strength of same judgment, the Abure-led NWC had gone ahead same last week to announce the dissolution of the Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti backed Caretaker leadership of the party in Abia State.
In place of the Sir Emmanuel Nwaeze Otti-led Interim Leadership, Abure had appointed a 15 member Caretaker Committee headed by Dr G O Ndubueze.
The sack of the Abia SWC and its replacement was contained in a letter addressed to the INEC and jointly signed by Abure and the National secretary Umar Farouk Ibrahim dated Monday October 14,2024.
The letter informed that the appointment of the Interim Committee for the only State which the party controls takes immediate effect.
The Committee according to the Abure-led NWC, will be in place for three months within which period a substantive leadership will be put in place.
“In exercise of the power bestowed upon by the Labour Party Constitution, Article 13 3 Bvi to dissolve and reconstitute State Executive Council/State Working Committee where necessary pending the State Congress, the National Working Committee hereby dissolves and appoints a Caretaker Committee to pilot the affairs of the party in Abia state”, part of the letter reads.
But while ruling in an ex-parte application filed by the Emmanuel Otti-led SWC on Thursday October 17, Hon Justice T C Eruba, also restrained the Abure-led Interim leadership from holding out themselves or taking any actions whatsoever and howsoever which may affect the rights of the claimant/applicant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The Court also barred the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, and the Inspector General of Police IGP from dealing with the respondents, until the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The Source reports that the Abure-led faction of the party and that of Esther Nenadi Usman have been engaged in a fierce battle over which will select and submit party candidates to the ABSIEC for the November 2 Local Council Polls in the State.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
