Labour Party Crisis: Court Bars Rival Factions from Secretariat

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The rival faction of Labour Party led by Mike Omotosho and the embattled  National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, have been barred from entering the national secretariat of the party in Abuja by a court pending the determination of the case over the leadership tussle in the party.

The court order which was issued by an Abuja Magistrate court on January 29th, 2018 had  the National SecretaryJulius Abure, Deputy National Chairman Chief Calistus Okafor as complainants.

While granting their pleas, the court restrained Abdulsalam, his representative or any other party to the case from stepping into the party office.”

It also ordered Abdulsalam to stop acting as chairman pending the  determination of motion on notice.

Justice Aliyu Ibrahim while granting the order said, “the defendant/respondent is hereby restrained either in person by his prives, agents or any person or body claiming through him from trespassing or stepping into the party office and to stop interference with the properties of the party and the office (Labour Party) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The crisis in the Labour Party has festered due to the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to recognise Omotosho as the acting National Chairman after the National Convention of the party held on the 3rd of October 2017 has validly  removed Alhaji Abdulsalam as the substantive chairman of the party.

The party had earlier in a petition to the Commissioner of Police, FCT command in December alleged that the inability of INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu from respecting the outcome of the party’s convention is capable of jeopardising Labour Party as well as posing a threat to National security and peaceful co-exiastence of the party.

Alhaji Abdulsalam was accused of financial recklessness, breach of trust, forgery, misappropriation and criminal intimidation.

According to the petition the faction of the party led by Omotosho alleged that Abdulsalam “recruited the services of heavily armed thugs and forcefully chased out staff and 19 members of the National Working Committee from the office. At the moment our office is occupied by heavily armed thugs.

However, Abdulsalam dismissed the move to oust him from office describing those behind it as miscreants and trouble makers who are bent on causing disaffection within the party.

He denied any wrong doing as far as financial dealing is concerned. The embattled chairman said that his removal did not follow due process and stands null and void.