27th March, 2024
By Taiye Agbaje
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, declined to restrain the embattled National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, from conducting the planned national convention of the party scheduled for today in Umuahia, Abia.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, rather ordered the plaintiff, Chief Chidozie Ezeugwa, to put all the defendants on notice of the ex-parte application moved by his lawyer, Ammeh Ammeh.
“I have studied the motion ex-parte, the prayers sought therein and the averments in the affidavit in support.
“Upon doing that, it is my opinion that this is not an application to be granted without hearing the other side.
“Therefore, I make an order for the applicant to put the defendants on notice of the ex-parte application forthwith and also for applicant to serve the respondents all processes filed in this suit within 2 days of this order,” Justice Ekwo said
The judge, thereafter, made an order for the defendants to show cause on the next date why the application of the applicant ought not to be granted.
The matter was then adjourned until April 4 for Abure and others to show cause.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/383/2024, include Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu, LP and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 2nd to 5th defendants respectively.
In the motion ex-parte dated March 20 but filed March 22 by Christ N., Ezeugwa sought three orders.
These include an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants jointly and severally from taking steps or any further step in conducting the planned national convention of his party (LP) “at Umuahia, Abaia State, NIgeria, or any other venue whatsoever called any were in Nigeria on 27th day of March, 2024 or any other date whatsoever until the hearing and determinations of originating process herein.”
He also sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC “from attending the unilateral planned national convention of the plaintiff party (Labour Party)” at the said venue and date until the hearing and determinations of the originating process, etc.
In the affidavit he personally deposed to, Ezeugwa averred that he was a card-carrying member of LP, he paid all the dues and qualified to attend all its meetings, including the national convention.
He said he was aware of the terms of the settlement between the party and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which deprived the party of holding any national convention in March 2024.
He said that the issuance of the letter by a unilateral group to review the earlier date fixed for the national convention backwards was to frustrate members like him, among others, from attending the convention.