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The entire leadership of Labour Party in Edo state including the State, Local Government and Ward executives
on Monday passed a vote of confidence on its National Chairman, Julius Abure, who was allegedly suspended by a factional group of the party.
The party recalled that some groups who claimed to be ward three executives of the party in Edo State, led by the Ward’s Chairman, Martins Osigbemhe, had earlier announced the suspension of the LP national chairman .
However, in a solidarity visit to the Barrister Abure at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the chapters said the Osigbemhe faction are unknown to the party and are working for the opposition political parties.
Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the party, while addressing newsmen said that the constitution of the party did not empower any group or party members to suspend a national officer.
Ogbaloi said that since Abure was elected by a national convention, “imposters “who are not registered party members cannot suspend him, so their action is out of ignorance .
“Those who did it don’t even understand the message they were asked to deliver.
“It’s none sense when few boys assembled themselves in Abuja and made the pronouncement they made.
“For once, they are not members of the party, they are not at the ward, they are not at the local government and they are not recognized at the state level.
“In the constitution of Labour Party, no state, no local government, no ward has the right or whatsoever to assemble anywhere to suspend a national chairman who is a product of a national convention.”
Ogbaloi said that it may be possible in other political parties but not in Labour Party.
He said whatever action carried out by the group, had no effect on the leadership of the party.
“Barr Julius Abure remains the national chairman of our party and we have since passed a vote of confidence on him and he shall take this party forward.
“No reasonable person will come and be talking about the suspension of a chairman who had delivered on the election that we just have concluded”, he said.
Mr Patrick Obed, the Local Government Chairman, Esan East, Edo State, said that the suspension of Abure was a rumour and a rift.
According to him, Abure is the national chairman and has not been suspended at the Local Government level, ward level and at the senatorial level he has not been suspended.
“He has been good to us, he has been working assiduously to move the party forward .
“I believe those claiming to be members of the party who suspended him, I don’t know them facially, they are carrying a rumour which is meant to create a dent on our party but they have failed. I believe that the imposters are working for members of opposition parties.”
Thompson Valentine Ehiguese, Chairman Ward 3,. Esan East LGA, said they came to Abuja to clear the air on the purported suspension by some persons impersonating as the ward chairman and ward executives of ward 3 Esan North Senatorial zone.
“I am the chairman of ward 3 in my local government and with me here is my secretary.
“We are here to dismiss the information about the suspension, that is not correct. Ward 3, Uromi where the national chairman hails from. I am his ward chairman.
“The truth of the matter is that those who claimed to have suspended the national chairman are not members of the party.
“Their names are not in our party register. They are not even from Esan and they are not from our ward. We are taking a major action against them. They are impersonators and they will be arrested soon”, he said.