The Labour Party in Edo State has suspended the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure.
This decision follows the ratification of Abure’s suspension from Arue, Ward 3, Esan North-East Local Government Area by the party’s state executive, as detailed in a letter dated May 14, 2024, addressed to Abure.
During a press conference in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Friday night, which was attended by state and local government leaders as well as other party members, LP Esan North East LG Chairman, Patrick Onogbenin, disclosed that he had received a letter on May 14 from the Ward 3 Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, detailing Abure’s suspension from Arue Ward 3, Esan North East Local Government Area.
Onogbenin stated that he had subsequently discussed the issues raised in the letter with other members of the party’s local government executive. After concluding that the reasons for the suspension were substantial, he wrote to the state executive for ratification.
Kelly Ogbaloi, the state chairman of the Labour Party, who received and read the two letters, stated that after considering the contents and the reasons provided for the suspension, the state executive had no choice but to ratify the suspension, which had already been upheld at the local government level.
“The state executive council is extremely reluctant to ordinarily adopt this kind of situation but I must tell you that tonight we are very constrained and have no options whatsoever at our disposal to refuse this presentation.
“This is more so when it is indeed coming from the very ward where barrister Julius Abure originates. We therefore find no iota of evidence that has the capacity to prohibit us from agreeing to ratify the suspension
“On behalf of the state executive committee we have the suspension ratified. Please take notice that you have been suspended from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government, Edo State.
“This decision was reached after a rigorous deliberation by members of the ward in consideration of your high-handedness, antiparty activities in the administration of the party and other myriads of allegations of fraud levelled against you which are currently under investigation.”