The Senator Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party (LP) National Caretaker Committee (NCC) has announced the suspension of former National Chairman and Secretary of the party, Julius Abure, and Farouk Umar for six months.

This was after three LP members of the House of Representatives dismissed their purported suspension from the party, describing it as “laughable” and a desperate attempt by a “dethroned emperor” to cling to power.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied claims that it has recognised a factional leadership in LP. Governor Alex Otti, on his part, described his purported suspension from the party by Abure as a desperate act of a clown looking for a crown.

In a statement signed by Usman and the NCC’s Secretary, Sen Darlington Nwokocha, in Abuja, last night, the party leadership asserted that the decision was a sequel to the findings of the Sen IretiKingibe-led six-member Disciplinary Committee, inaugurated on Wednesday.

The statement reads, “Following an in-depth investigation by a committee led by Sen IretiKingibe and Peter Ameh, the National Executive Council (NEC) of LP has ratified the committee’s recommendations concerning the anti-party activities and gross misappropriation of party funds by Abure and others. The investigative report revealed significant financial misconduct and prompted the following disciplinary actions:

“Abure has been suspended for an initial period of six months and is prohibited from presenting himself as the National Chairman of the LP. Farouk, the former National Secretary, was identified as a co-signer in most of the fraudulent bank withdrawals and transfers alongside Abure. Consequently, he has also been suspended for an initial six-month period, pending further investigation. All members of Abure’s National Working Committee (NWC) are directed to cease acting as representatives of the Labour Party’s NWC.

“The NEC emphasises that failure to adhere to these disciplinary measures will result in more severe consequences.”Leader of LP Caucus in the House, Afam Ogene; Deputy Leader, Seyi Sowunmi and a prominent member of the caucus, Amobi Ogah, in a joint statement, maintained that Abure “remains ousted” as the national chairman of the party based on a recent Supreme Court judgment.

The embattled former chairman had, on Wednesday, also announced the suspension of the only LP Governor, Alex Otti of Abia State; Sen IretiKingibe and Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Sen Darlington Nwokocha.

In the statement entitled ‘Our Former National Chairman Goes Mad Again’, the three LP lawmakers expressed dismay that Abure, instead of working to improve LP’s fortunes, seemed focused on orchestrating its disintegration to appease external forces driving his actions.

They said further, “From yesterday’s overreach of himself and his band of jesters, it is now evidently clear to everyone who has followed recent events in LP, that our former national chairman, Julius Abure, has gone mad again, in a desperate move not to go down alone.

“It is utterly absurd that Abure, who failed to demonstrate moral integrity during his tenure as national chairman, now claims the authority to sanction party leaders. Only in Abure’s distorted reality can those with questionable character judge others. In the real world, his Supreme Court-nullified leadership status has reduced him to a self-serving shameless impostor driven by personal gain.”

They wondered which self-respecting national chairman of a political party busies himself running around media houses like a press boy.The trio added: “The last time around, it was announcing the sack and replacement of Ogene as caucus leader, but when that didn’t work, he resorted to contriving a fake suspension order.

“Abure has appointed himself as a willing undertaker for the destruction of the soul of LP, but ironically, he is only supervising the burial plan of his image and integrity as a public servant and political leader. We wish him well.”

The commission clarified that the presence of certain names on its website stemmed from prior court orders and not from any fresh ruling, including the recent Supreme Court decision on the LP.

While describing reports making rounds that the commission recognised certain persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of LP, the electoral umpire stated yesterday, through the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, described the report as unfounded and misleading.

“The reports also inferred that the commission has restored a particular individual as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), referring to the listings on the commission’s official website.

“However, the reports are false and misleading. The commission has not made any decision in respect of either the LP or PDP,” Oyekanmi said.

OTTI, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, noted that the Supreme Court had, in a judgment, stated that Abure is no longer the national chairman of the party.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to arrest Abure for impersonation, while the INEC should ensure full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment as a way of preserving the integrity of the apex court and protecting democracy.

The statement reads: “The attention of Governor Alex Otti has been drawn to the news of his purported suspension alongside other eminent leaders of LP from the party by the former national chairman, Julius Abure.

“The statement by Abure and his gang of comedians is not only a joke taken too far, but an affront on democracy by a group of inconsequential irritants who are desperate to use Otti’s name to advance their self-serving economic agenda.” (The Guardian)