AN Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday, April 5, ordered the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, and the National Secretary, Farouk Ibrahim, to stop parading themselves as national officers of the party, pending the hearing and determination of a suit brought against them.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, while ruling on an ex-parte application, also ordered some other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to stop parading themselves as national officers.
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They include the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, and the Treasurer, Oluchi Opara.
Justice Muazu issued the restraining order following an ex-parte application brought by some aggrieved members of the LP who are challenging the continued stay in office of the defendants over allegations of corruption.
The ex-parte application was argued before the court by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, James Onoja,
Onoja told the court that Abure and the others allegedly forged several documents like receipts, seals and affidavits of the court to carry out criminal activities.
He also noted that the LP had received a letter from the Chief Registrar of the Court concerning documents that were allegedly used in criminal activities by Abure and the three others.
According to Onoja, the four defendants will be arraigned in court after being charged by the police. He added that arrest warrants had already been filed for them.
In his ruling, Justice Muazu held that the application and supporting affidavits presented a good case for granting the request.
The judge subsequently ordered the four defendants to immediately stop parading themselves as national officers of the Labour Party, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance