The Labour Party, LP, caretaker committee set up by stakeholders has announced plans to appeal Tuesday’s judgment affirming Julius Abure as the National Chairman.
The move comes a few hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declared the contentious national convention that returned him and his National Working Committee to office valid.
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The court also compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission to restore the legitimacy and privileges of the party leadership.
The court ruled that the Nnewi convention earlier held in March was constitutional and in line with the laid down laws of the country.
Abure had expressed his readiness for reconciliation in the wake of the judgment by appealing to Obi to help pacify the party bigwigs and other aggrieved members.
Reacting in a terse statement released in Abuja on Tuesday night, the Chairman of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, announced that they will appeal the judgment.
While urging the party faithful to remain calm, Usman disclosed the decision to appeal the judgment was consciously taken after they met with Obi to deliberate on the development.
She said, “This evening, I met with His Excellency Mr Peter Obi, His Excellency Governor Alex Otti, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Secretary, LP Caretaker Committee). We deliberated on the judgment passed today.
“The case actually preceded the formation of the Caretaker Committee. However, after being briefed, the Caretaker Committee decided to join the case. Consequently, we have resolved to appeal the judgment accordingly.
“I, therefore, call on all party members to remain calm and maintain peace as we continue our reconciliation efforts.”
Recall that Abure had been at loggerheads with bigwigs and stakeholders of the party who kicked against his reelection, saying the controversial Nnewi convention that returned him to office wasn’t an all-inclusive and expansive one.
In July, Obi, alongside the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and some party stakeholders, set up a 29-man caretaker committee.
The committee, headed by Usman, a former minister, was saddled with a mandate to conduct an expanded election to birth new executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels.