By our reporter| A federal high court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered that the Labour Party and some of its executives be served with a fresh suit challenging the party’s leadership.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1636/2021, Calistus Okafor, who is a factional leader of the party, is challenging the legality of the leadership of Julius Abure and Akingbade Oyelakin, whom he said, “represents persons wrongfully and unlawfully parading themselves as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of Labour Party”.
Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, gave the order while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by Okafor, a former deputy national chairman of the party.
Ekwo ordered a “substituted service of the originating summons, interlocutory injunction, and all other processes in this suit on the 1st to 3rd, 6th to 12th and 14th defendants by pasting the said processes at their political party’s office, which is the 5th defendant’s office, located at No 2, Oke Agbe Street, Off Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki 11, Abuja”.
The court also ordered that the service must be effected “within seven days of this order”.
The matter was then adjourned till June 30 “for further mention”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is joined as the fourth defendant in the suit.
Umar Farouq, secretary of the party, was included as the second defendant and other defendants are members of the committee set up by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to take over the affairs of the party.
The committee members are listed as Salisu Mohammed, Lawson Osagie, Isa Aremu, Baba Aye, Ikpe Ektokudo, Sylvester Ejiofor, and Lucy Offiong.
The NLC is also listed as a defendant in the suit.
The court matter comes days after Peter Obi, clinched the presidential ticket of the party after resigning his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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