A federal capital territory (FCT) high court denied Julius Abure’s challenge to his dismissal as chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
On April 5, the presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, barred Abure and three others — Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu, and Oluchi Opara — from working as national officers of the LP.
The plaintiffs in CV/2930/2023 notified the court that the defendants fabricated many documents from the FCT high court in order to carry out illegal substitutions in the recent elections.
Martins Esikpali John, Lucky Shaibu, Isah Zekeri, Omogbai Frank, Abokhaiu Aliu, Ayohkaire Lateef, John Elomah, and Ayobami Arabambi filed the claim.
The defendants filed a preliminary objection to the claim through their lawyer, Alex Ejesieme.
According to Ejesieme, the charge of forgery against his clients cannot be presented before the court by originating summons.
He also claimed that the plaintiffs are not members of the LP and hence lack locus standi to file the lawsuit.
According to the attorney, the subject involves internal party matters that the court cannot intervene in.
On Friday, the judge denied the application, ruling that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear concerns concerning the party’s internal affairs.
The judge stated that if the parties were at peace, there would be no need for the court to intervene in their matters.
“When there is no crack on the wall, there will not be the need for an outsider to come to mend it,” he said.
Muazu added that the plaintiffs were right to have instituted the case by originating summons.
