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LP leadership: Apapa launches fresh bid to oust Abure *Wants IG to evict him, others
Relentless over his claim to be the authentic National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Lamidi Apapa, has launched a fresh bid to wrench office from Julius Abure, currently sitting at the party headquarters, Abuja in that capacity, with a definite request to the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police to eject the embattled the latter from the party’s national secretariat.
Apapa, who teamed up with other claimants to different offices, including Lawal Saleh, acting National Secretary; Comrade Anslem Eragbe, National Youth Leader and LP in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/777/23 and filed by their lawyer, Anderson Asamota, wants Justice Ahmed Mohammed, to make an order of perpetual injunction restraining Abure and three other suspended national officers from further representing or parading themselves as national chairman and officers of the party.
His team had had sued National Chairman; Farouk Umaru, National Secretary; Ojukwu Clement, Organising Secretary; Oluci Opara, and National Treasurer, whom they claimed to have suspended, in addition to the I-G, named as the first to fifth defendants respectively.
In the latest case dated June 1, they sought nine reliefs which include “an order setting aside or nullifying all steps or proceedings conducted by the 1st to 4th defendants, actions or decisions taken, documents or correspondences prepared, authored, signed and issued by them, after they were restrained by the FCT High Court on April 5th and suspended by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party on 3rd day of May, 2023.
“An order of mandatory injunction directing or compelling the 1st to 4th defendants whether acting by themselves or through their officers, privies, representatives, attorneys and/or agents to render account of all monies or funds received by them through gift, donations, contributions for and on behalf of the party and return or refund all the monies or gift received by them for and on behalf of the party.”
The plaintiff, who prayed the court to eject Abure and the three co-defendants from the party’s national secretariat located at No. 2 IBM Haruna Street, Utako, Abuja, described them as “illegal occupants.”
They sought a declaration that by virtue of Articles 13 (2)(B)(xvii), 17(ii) and 19(2) (C) & (3)C of the Constitution of the Labour Party, 2019 (as amended), the NEC of the LP is empowered and/or inundated with powers to take disciplinary action or discipline the erring members and national officers of the party for misconduct.
They said that by the constitution of the party, Abure, having been suspended by the NEC cannot continue to hold himself out as the national chairman of the party, “which is privilege only enjoyed by members of the party,” among other reliefs.
In the affidavit deposed to by Eragbe, he said an FCT High Court on April 5 restrained the 1st to 4th defendants parading themselves as national chairman and national officers of the party.
He averred that despite the said restraining order “hanging over their necks like the sword of Damocles,” they continued to parade themselves as national officers of the party in various for a and meetings in flagrant disobedience of the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Based on this, Eragbe said the NEC, in its meeting held on May 3, reached a resolution suspending the four of them.
He said the decision was based on their “numerous acts of contempt of the FCT High Court restraining order, convening, holding and participating in illegal NEC meeting on April 18 in Asaba, Delta.
He also said It was for their involvement in fraudulent activities and anti-party activities especially as it appertains to the conduct of pseudo gubernatorial primaries in Imo State, Bayelsa State and Kogi State on 15th April, 2023.
“That the 1st to 4th defendants conducted, presided and superintended the said pseudo or illegal primaries in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi State on 15th April, 2023 in contempt of the restraining order of the FCT High Court referenced above.”
When the matter was called on Monday, Asamota, who appeared for the plaintiffs, told the court that the matter was slated for mention and all the defendants had been duly served.
He then prayed the court to adjourn the matter for hearing.
But Kehinde Edun, lawyer for Umaru, said Abure, Clement and Opara had not been served with the court papers which necessitated their not being represented in court.
Justice Mohammed, therefore, directed the court registrar to crosscheck from the record if all the defendants were served, but the registrar confirmed that only Abure (1st defendant) was served with hearing notice.
The judge, who adjourned the matter until Nov. 28 for further mention, ordered that the originating summons and hearing notices be served on all the necessary parties.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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