Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has called for the arrest of Julius Abure, accusing the embattled Labour Party National Chairman of impersonation and defying a Supreme Court judgment that ousted him from office. In a statement on Wednesday by his media aide Ferdinand Ekeoma, Otti described Abure’s announcement of his (Otti’s) suspension from the party as “a desperate act by a clown in search of a crown.”
Otti stated that the Supreme Court had affirmed a National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman and ruled Abure was no longer chairman. He accused Abure of attempting to preempt disciplinary measures for alleged financial misconduct and other violations by issuing the suspension.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports claiming it officially recognised Abure or any other party officials amid the ongoing leadership crises in the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party. INEC’s spokesperson, Rotimi Oyekanmi, clarified that names on its website were based on prior court orders, not the Supreme Court’s April 4 judgment.
The apex court had ruled that internal party matters like leadership disputes fall outside the jurisdiction of regular courts, overturning previous decisions that favoured Abure and reaffirming Anyanwu’s position in the PDP as well.
INEC said it is reviewing the implications of the court rulings and will announce its official position soon.
