By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The National Youth leader of Labour Party (LP), Comrade Eragbo Anselem, has tackled the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajeoro, for taking the embattled former National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure, to the party headquarters despite a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court restraining order slammed on Abure.

Eragbo, in a petition to the NLC President, Congress General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, which was copied to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS), FCT High Court, Acting National Chairman of Labour Party, and Labour Party National Working Committee/National Executive Committee on Monday urged the NLC and other trade unions not to associate themselves with the ills committed by Mr. Julius Abure while holding sway as National Chairman of LP.

He reeled out the offences to include, Forgery, Perjury and Criminal Conspiracy with financial malfeasance perpetrated to the tune of over N400 million.

The petition partly reads: “Mr President, the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID investigation & Forensic Audit Report indicted Mr Julius Abure and three others: Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, National Secretary, Mr Ojukwu Clement, National Organizing Secretary and Mrs Oluchi Okpara, National Treasurer and the FCT High Court issued a RESTRAINING ORDER on Julius Abure and others from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party, LP.

“Mr President, you may wish to also be informed that the two (2) matters in court of cognate jurisdictions are different. While the matter in Benin has to do with the suspension of Julius Abure from the ward for which he, Julius Abure, sought an enrollment order seeking to stop the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC) from implementing the ward suspension on him.

“The matter of the FCT High Court Restraining Order on Julius Abure and three others has to do with Criminal conspiracy, forgery and perjury with financial impropriety of over N400 with illegal and unlawful withdrawal and substitution of the Ebonyi State 2023 Gubernatorial Candidate, Mr Oko Eze.

“Mr President, while I wish to acknowledge your rights and privileges as a critical stakeholder of the Labour Party, I wish to also notify you, that your action to bringing Julius Abure whom the FCT High Court Restrained from parading himself as National Officer of the Labour Party with a solidarity visit to the Labour Party National Headquarters amounts to contempt of court and this your action is not healthy for the peace and order of the Labour Party in particular, knowing that you are a law-abiding citizen and veteran in the struggle.

“On behalf of the Acting National Chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa, and members of the Labour Party National Working Committee, I further want to acknowledge you and the roles you have played consistently over time in the struggle for upholding the ideology, manifesto and mantra of the labour movement and to also state that by identifying yourself with Julius Abure, it gives credence to Abure's forgery, perjury and criminal conspiracy and you should not be seen supporting illegality and criminality.

“My President, you will be acting against the same workers emancipation and freedom that you swore to protect, once you have identified yourself with Julius Abure the way you have done in this video and for this, Julius Abure has now constituted himself as a rodent who should be fumigated with pesticides, since Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa, the Acting National Chairman, is the legitimate occupant of our property, and his National Working Committee members as Leaders of Labour Party in Nigeria, in line with the Labour Party constitution 2019, as amended, based on the FCT High Court Restraining Order.”

The LP national youth leader further said that the action of the NLC President amounted to contempt of court, he said, adding: "The FCT High Court further restrained Julius Abure and others on Monday, 17th April, 2023, from Parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party (LP).

Julius Abure is admonished to stop parading himself as National Chairman of Labour Party in line with the FCT High Court Restraining Order as the only legitimate leadership and National Working Committee is that headed by Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa.

“By this rejoinder, the National Working Committee enjoins the Labour Party members nationwide to be patient and avoid any act of provocation and remain steadfast while Julius Abure remains restrained by the FCT High Court; as we await a meeting of minds between the NLC and Labour Party National leaderships to aquatint NLC and TUC with the facts behind this matter.”

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