By Chesa Chesa
The Labour Party (LP) has denied reports on social media that its candidate in the Imo State governorship election, Senator Athan Achonu, has been sacked by the Appeal Court.
A statement issued by LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Sunday alleged that the “fake news originated from the camp of the Lamidi Apapa led renegades which has since ceased from being members of the Labour Party”.
Ifoh said that the Apapa group had hoodwinked and arranged governorship primaries for two members of the Labour Party, namely Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph and Sir Basil Maduka, after which Ukaegbu won the contest.
He clarified further that “Maduka was piqued by the outcome of the fake primaries and had gone ahead to challenge the emergence of Ukaegbu. He sued both Ukaegbu and the “Labour Party”.
“Neither the authentic Labour Party led by Barrister Julius Abure nor its candidate Senator Athan Achonu was put on notice and were not aware of the situation.
“The case was decided on behalf of Ukaegbu against Maduka. The matter has nothing to do with the leadership of the party or the candidacy Senator Achonu, a product of a properly conducted primaries by Abure led NWC.
“Apparently Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph mischievously misinterpreted the judgment of the said Federal High Court delivered on the 23″ day of June, 2023 by His Lordship, Hon Justice BO Quadirin Suit No FHC/OW/CS/28/2023, wherein it categorically held that from the totality of all the considered argument and authorities “the plaintiff Sir Basil Maduka does not fall within the definition of an aspirant as it never participated in the process leading to the primary election nor took part in the primary election of the 1st Defendant LP.”
“With this judgement Chief Ukaegbu had gone to town declaring himself as the Labour Party candidate for the Imo governorship election. For emphasis, the court never pronounced him as the candidate of the Labour Party. No court has given judgement de-recognsing Barrister Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party up till today.
“Meanwhile, the Labour Party appealed the Bayelsa court ruling on the ground that it lacks the jurisdiction to entertain a suit filed the faction led by Abure without putting the leadership of the party known to law into notice. The case is still pending in the court. The matter is pending before the court.
“Senator Achonu was also not a party to the suit filed by Sir Maduka but on hearing about the matter before the Federal High Court, he sought to be joined as an interested party. However, the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri on Friday re-emphasized the implication of lack of jurisdiction in a Motion for leave to appeal as an interested party and held that the Motion was filed out of time hence it lacked jurisdiction.
“To our greatest surprise, Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph and his cohorts have flooded the social media with yet another propaganda and falsehood that Court of Appeal has declared him the candidate of Labour Party, in a matter he was neither the Plaintiff nor Appellant.
“We took time to explain this trajectory because we have passed through this path a couple of times in the past. Recall the incidence in Kano state Federal High Court where they distorted the judgement of the court and misinformed Nigerians over the Imo state governorship election.
“They have also attempted to buy judgement in an FCT court. The same faction had infamously attempted to snatch proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court, all to no avail.
“We are therefore asking the Chief Justice of Nigeria to visit severe consequences on these group of judicial marauders for serially distorting the noble judgements put together by our Lord Justices and for perpetually misinforming Nigerians.
“Their purpose is purely to discredit the judiciary and put a tar-brush on the image of the court. Their actions are contemptuous and must be checked before they upgrade the judicial embarrassment to obscenity.
“In conclusion, we state categorically that Senator Achonu remains the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Imo state as no court has stated otherwise. That the Independent National Electoral Commission has since published his name as the party’s candidate.
“That Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph is not the candidate of the Labour Party and that no court either Federal High Court or Court of Appeal ever declared him LP candidate.
“We therefore call on all our members, supporters and Obidient family to work for the election of Senator Achonu in the November governorship election as our in coming governor of Imo State.”
