Following Thursday last week judgment of the Appeal Court which stated that only the candidates produced by the Lamidi Apapa -led primaries are the original candidates of the Labour Party in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa governorship election billed close to the end of this year, the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Peace& Good Governance have called on the powers that be at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expeditiously publish the name of Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph popularly known as Ikenga as the duly- nominated candidate of the Labour Party for the November 2023 Imo State Governorship Election.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the convener of the group, Mr Uche Okoronkwo recalled that on the 5th day of April 2023, the FCT High Court restrained Abure and others from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party and in obedience to that court ruling, the Labour Party appointed the Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa as the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party in accordance with its constitution. Consequently, the Labour Party under the constitutional leadership of Alhaji Lamidi Apapa wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) changing its date of primary elections earlier scheduled by the court- restrained Abure from 15th to 16th April.

Abure illegally and notwithstanding the Restraining Order went Ahead to Conduct Primaries for Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa on April 15th 2023.Lawfully, the Lamidi Apapa led faction conducted his primaries for Imo State on the 16th day of April 2023.

Because of fiendish motives of the Abure, there were two primaries conducted by the Labour Party in Imo State for the governorship election slated later this year.

This led to litigation and the case was decided in favour of the Lamidi Apapa led faction.

The Appeal Court declared that the primaries conducted by Lamidi Apapa was the Authentic primary by the Labour Party as Abure was under A Restraining Order as at the time he screened aspirants and conducted his primaries.

Therefore, Abure's primaries was null and void. The Appeal Court last week affirmed that Abure"s conduct of the primaries in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa was in contempt of the court as he was under a Restraining Order when he conducted the primaries.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Sankey, S. Ademola Bola and M. L. Abubakar affirmed the Restraining Order on Abure to Stop Parading himself as the Chairman of the Labour Party.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press for the avoidance of doubt, there is no parallel judgment of the Appeal Court on the Chairmanship of the Labour party. The Appeal Court cannot rule against itself.

The truth of the matter is that the judgment of the Appeal court in Benin City is clearly different from the Appeal court judgment restraining Abure and voiding his primaries.

The Appeal court judgment in Benin which Abure is celebrating and misleding the public merely lifted his suspension from his ward. He should provide the CTC of the Appeal Court judgment in Benin. Recall also that the FCT High Court earlier restrained Abure and 3 others of the National Working Committee of the LP on the 6th of April 2023 following a criminal indictment against him bothering on forgery, perjury, criminal conspiracy and financial malfeasance.

As the conscience , we align with the judgment of the Appeal Court and urge INEC to publish the Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph 's name as the duly - nominated Candidate of the Labour Party for Imo State Nov governorship election.