Court Told to Deregister Labour Party in Nigeria, Bar Its Candidates, Details Emerge
- The crisis rocking the leadership of one of Nigeria's main opposition parties, the Labour Party, has led to another major issue
- An advocacy group urged the court in Abuja to deregister LP and stop the party from fielding candidates in any election
- The group maintained that since the party has failed to conduct its national convention since 2019, it should be deregistered
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Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
FCT, Abuja - The Federal High Court, Abuja division, has been asked to deregister the Labour Party (LP).
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In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/301/ 2024, the court equally asked to bar the party from further fielding candidates in any election being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A group under the aegis of the Incorporated Trustees of the Center for Reform and Public Advocacy filed the case at the court in Abuja.
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As reported by Vanguard, the respondents in the suit are INEC, LP, chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and factional chairman Lamidi Apapa.
Why group called for deregistration of Labour Party
The plaintiff told the court that contrary to provisions of both the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Constitution of the LP, the party has failed to conduct its national convention since 2019, The Guardian reported.
The plaintiff also told the court that Abure and Apapa needed to follow the due process required for their position as the national chairmen of the party.
Specifically, the plaintiff is seeking:
“A declaration that it is illegal, unconstitutional and void. The 2nd defendant is in breach of sections 223(1) (a) and 222(a) of the 1999 Constitution.”
The plaintiff, through its lawyer, Mr Ukpai Ukairo, told the court that the 1999 Constitution mandates every political party to have the names and addresses of its national officers registered with INEC before it can function as a political party in Nigeria.
LP speaks about Abure's alleged fraud
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday, March 6, said that no court had found Barrister Julius Abure, its embattled national chairman, guilty of diversion of party funds.
In a statement by Obiora Ifoh, its spokesperson, the party stated that the narrative that Abure alone siphoned or diverted the party fund “is clearly misleading and orchestrated to muscle him out of office.”
LP also insisted that Peter Obi will not leave the party over the alleged smear campaign against Barr. Abure.
The party noted that Obi had pledged his loyalty to it "due to its social democratic ideology which suits his political vision".
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Source: Legit.ng
