The Director General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (LP PCC), Akin Osuntokun, has attributed the crisis in the party to the judiciary following the court judgement ordering the National Chairman, Julius Abure, and other executive members to stop parading themselves as national officers of the party.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Osuntokun stated that there is no leadership tussle in the party other than the crisis created by the judiciary.
He maintained that Abure remains the leader of the party and that the judge had the option of allowing the chairman of the party to remain in his position and go on with the case, but he rather chose an option which set up the party for a crisis.
According to Osuntokun, “It was a judge here, who in his discretion, said that Abure, who has been chairman for the primaries of the presidential, for the governorship, for the state houses of assembly. A judge thereafter gave a judgement that that chairman should no longer parade himself as a chairman. What do you make of that? And look at who and who brought the case to him.”
He also raised concerns about the possibility of judges making judgments based on frivolous complaints from clerks and urged them to take a more logical position on matters brought before them.
It would be recalled that following the court judgement, the Deputy National Chairman of the party (South), Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, declared himself the acting Chairman of the party and took over the party leadership.
However, a State High Court sitting in Benin, on April 6, restrained the Labour Party and all its members from any suspension of Abure and other national officers till the determination of the motion on notice.
The crisis has continued to deepen in the party as different factions are laying claim to the party leadership.
Meanwhile, stakeholders and party faithful are calling on the judiciary to exercise restraint in matters that could affect the smooth running of the party and its democratic ideals.
It is expected that the LP PCC will continue to engage stakeholders and party members to find a lasting solution to the crisis and ensure that the party emerges stronger ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
