*Says it’s fraudulent
Emameh Gabriel in Abuja
The National Working Committee of the Julius Abure-led Labour Party, has accused the Lamidi Apapa led-faction of the party of fraudulently procuring a judgement against its candidate for the November 11 governorship election in Imo State, Senator Athan Achonu.
This was as they vowed to vacate the judgment in the Court of Appeal, to establish the legitimacy of their candidates in the November 11 governorship election, adding that a judgement that didn’t give chance for fair-hearing cannot stand.
A Federal High Court sitting in Bayelsa State, last weekend, declared Evangelist Joseph Ikechukwu Ukaegbu (Ikenga) as the authentic candidate of Imo Labour party for the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state.
The court also declared as illegal and unlawful, the April 15th governorship primary election conducted by the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the party in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
Delivering judgment in a suit brought before it by Sir Basil Maduka, challenging Ukaegbu’s emergence, Justice Emma Akko declared Evangelist Joseph Ikechukwu Ukaegbu the authentic candidate of the party for the 2023 Imo governorship election, having emerged through the April 16th primary election conducted by the Lamidi Apapa constituted electoral panel in the state.
The court also declared as illegal, the governorship primary election conducted in Bayelsa and Kogi States on April 15th by Julius Abure-led faction of the party, noting hat Abure was suspended and restrained from parading himself as national chairman of the party by Abuja High Court at the time of conduct of the said primaries in the states
The court further held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should upload names of candidates who emerged through valid primaries conducted in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States on 16th April, 2023 by Lamidi Apap- led National Working Committee of the party
Reacting to the judgment, National Publicity Secretary of the Abure led-NWC, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement, expressed disgust with the judgement entered against their candidate in the November governorship election in Imo state, Distinguished Senator Athan Achonu.
Obiora alleged that the party has confirmed that, “the judgement was fraudulently procured by our former but now suspended members led by Lamidi Apapa and we have directed our legal team to appeal the judgment with immediate effect.
“This is not the first time we will be seeing such a back door judgement. You recall that the Apapa group is known for propagating falsehood, misinformation and series of blackmail and this is yet another of their mischief.
“Not too long ago, we had intimated Nigerians particularly our teaming party members of the activities of the Apapa led renegades; how they have been moving round Nigeria shopping for a wiling court that will do their biddings.”
