Julius Abure and the three other suspended officials of the Labour Party (LP) on Thursday, returned to the party’s Secretariat in Abuja to assume their various posts.
At a press conference for journalists held at the secretariat, Abure informed the media that the party had appealed the FCT High Court’s decision to suspend him, the party’s secretary, Farouk Ibrahim, and two other individuals from serving as the party’s national officials. As a result, the FCT High Court no longer has jurisdiction over the case.
“However, having appealed and file a motion for stay which has been served on the judge; I and my colleagues have now fully assumed our constitutional responsibilities as national officers of the party,” he said.
Responding to the bribe allegation, he said: “An opposition political party says it is coming to visit you, it is that you listen to what they are coming to say. And so we obliged them the opportunity to solicit our support but we made it abundantly clear that the responsibility to appoint Senate President is that of the legislature and I want to make it very clear that no money was given.”
At a separate press conference in Abuja, the expelled former publicity secretary of the LP, Mr. Aboyomi Arabambi, accused the Abure-led LP of mingling with the All-Progressive Congress (APC) and accepting 500 million Naira to promote Akpabio’s bid for the Senate presidency.
He added that Abure’s refusal to submit the party’s member list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the deadline had put the party in danger of losing the governorship and the senatorial seats it had won in the states of Abia and Kano.
Arabambi also said he and his colleagues have been receiving threats to life if the ever visited the tribunal again.
He further accused Abure and the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi of denying them access to the bank account for the party’s campaign funds and even changing the account without their consent.
“What is Abure doing with Akpabio. These are the people they took to court claiming they have a stolen mandate. They are playing on the intelligence of Nigerians. Obi will not see now that they are working against the party because all of them will share in the money they collected,” he said.
