₦airaland Forum

The suspended national chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, reportedly resumed his office on Monday amid tight security.

Abure, who was expected to host the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero and his team, arrived at the secretariat at about 12:41pm, Daily Trust reports.

According to the report, immediately Abure entered, the security operatives attached to him and those manning the place quickly locked the main gate of the party’s building.

Abure, SaharaReporters had reported, was suspended as the national chairman of Labour after a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, ordered that he should stop parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.

He was barred alongside the National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim; the National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara; and the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, over alleged forgery.

Justice Hamza Muazu also ordered that the originating processes of the court be served on Abure and others.

SaharaReporters had reported that the order came a week after Abure's a Ward in Edo State chapter of his party suspended him over alleged anti-party activities.

It also had reported Comrade Julius Abure and his national executive committee may be charged to court for forgery, conspiracy and perjury after police investigation on alleged forgery of signatures of candidates who won party primaries and their tickets were swapped with other persons indicted them.

Abure who was suspended indefinitely by his Edo Labour Party Ward Executive for various offences such as forgery and perjury and subsequently removed as the national chairman of LP, has attributed his travails to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its led government to undermine the Labour Party.

Far from truth, documents SaharaReporters obtained showed that the embattled Abure's case was self- inflicted.

Abure and his EXCO were alleged to have swapped the ticket of the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Edo federal constituency won by Imasuen Paul Murphy with former Edo State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt Hon. Uyinmwen Ativie. Also the ticket of the governorship for Ebonyi state won by Eze Oko was swapped with one Nkwegu Edward Okereke as governorship candidate of the party.

In the alleged nefarious activities of Abure and his national executive, they forged withdrawal letters and sworn court affidavits on oath, which were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, to replace them with their preferred candidates, who might have paid through their way to get it.

Certified True Copy of police investigation report on the alleged forgery and perjury of Voluntary Withdrawal Letter of Oko from contesting the governorship election in Ebonyi state submitted to INEC, which SaharaReporters obtained on Friday, actually revealed that Oko’s signature was forged and never wrote the said letter of withdrawal.

The report “Re: Alleged Case Of Forgery, Perjury And Criminal Conspiracy”, was signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Special Enquiry Bureau Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, ACP Junaid Bukar.

The report partly read: “This deals with an alleged case of Conspiracy, Forgery and Perjury reported to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police by J.O. Asoluka, SAN and Co. on behalf of Mr. Eze Oko 'M' against above mentioned suspects of the Labour Party. The petition was approved and referred to the Special Enquiry Bureau (SEB) through letter No. CS:7000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.579/134 dated 23 September, 2022 for Investigation and report.

On the facts of the case, the report stated: “The complainant, Mr Eze Oko 'M alleged that on 9 June, 2022 he fully participated and won the 2023 Gubernatorial Primary Election of the labour Party (LP) in Ebony, State which was duly monitored by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Consequently, his name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the Ebonyi State Gubernatorial candidate of the Political Party for the 2023 General Election.

“He further alleged that without his consent/knowledge and authorization, he was substituted with one Nkegwu Edward Okereke who participated in the Primary election of All Progressive Congress (APC) and failed. That the substitution was fraudulently effected through an allegedly forged withdrawal Letter and Membership Card purported to be signed by him which was submitted to INEC."