Declare Me Authentic National Chairman of Labour Party – Former LP Chieftain, Okafor Tells Supreme Court

A former deputy national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Callistus Uju Okafor, has approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria to declare him the authentic national chairman of the party.

Okafor, who said the constitution of the LP still recognised him as the substantive deputy chairman of the party, stated this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday.

The appellant said he emerged as the Chairman of the LP following the death of the Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam on 29 December 2020.

Okafor urged the apex court to declare his ouster as the acting National Chairman following the death of the substantive chairman, Abdulsalami, as illegal because there was also, a consent judgment that recognised his emergence.

He further prayed the Supreme Court to also declare null and void, and of no effect, all actions so far taken by a former Assistant Secretary of the Party, Julius Abure, in his new capacity as the LP’s National Chairman.

He said: “I am the only acting National Chairman of the Labour Party. Every other person parading himself as such is fake. Lamidi Apapa and Abure are both fake.

“Apapa for instance cannot emerge in illegality. His emergence would have been better if there was no consent judgment.

“So far there is a consent judgment, Julius Abure is an illegal Labour Party Chairman.

“The only leader the Labour Party has at the moment is Callistus Okafor who is the acting National Chairman that is recognised by the constitution of the Labour Party.

“Let everybody know that I approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday, May 18 and prayed to the apex court to declare Abure’s LP chairmanship claims, illegal.

“I have drawn the attention of the Court to the fact that the acting secretary of the LP, based on the party’s constitution, cannot emerge as the Chairman.

“I have also asked the Supreme Court to declare null and void and of no effect, whatever Abure has done in his so-called capacity as the Chairman of the LP.

“I specifically drew the attention of the honourable justices of the apex court to the fact that Abure has conducted an illegal convention and primaries for LP which he has no legal power to do.

“I have therefore asked the Supreme Court to nullify all actions taken by Abure which were the basis for the Labour Party’s participation in the 2023 general elections.

“I have also asked the Court to recognise my party’s membership list because the list is with me and could be verified.”

Okafor had approached the Supreme Court in 2022 to challenge the Appeal Court’s validation of his ouster as the acting national chairman of LP, citing abuse of process.

He returned to the Supreme Court on Thursday to amend his prayers before the apex court.

Details of the amended suit sighted by our correspondent read, SC./CV/1379/2022,
APPEAL NO.CA/ABJ/CV/702/2022 and SUIT NO FHC/AB3/CS/1636

The respondents are, Comrade Salisu. Mohammed, Julius Abure, Umar Farouk, and Akingbade Samuel Oyelakin.

Okafor wants the Supreme Court to stop them from wrongfully and unlawfully parading themselves as members of the National Working Committee of the Labour Party.

Other respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission, Lawson Osagie, Isa Aremu, Baba Aye, Ikpe Etokudo, Sylvester Ejiofor, Luy Offiong, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and Hajiya Salamatu Aliyu.

Okafor is seeking an order from the Supreme Court allowing this appeal and setting aside in its entirety, the Judgment of the lower court delivered on the 24th day of July, 2022.

He is also seeking “An order invoking its powers and exercising jurisdiction pursuant to section 22 of the Supreme Court Act, to hear and determine the Appeltant’s Originating Summons, dated the 22” day of December 2021 and filed on the 23rd day of December 2021, on its merit.

“A declaration of the Court, that pursuant to Article 14, Paragraph 2(a&b) of the Constitution of Labour Party, that the Appellant, herein, Chief Callistus Okafor, as the Deputy National Chairman of Labour Party, assumed the position of the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, upon the demise of the previous occupant of that position in the person of A.Abdulsalami.

“A declaration that the 2nd Respondent, Barr Julius Abure, pursuant to Article 14, paragraph 2(a&b) of the Constitution of Labour Party, as the Acting National Secretary of Labour Party, cannot legally or validly assume office, under any circumstance whatsoever, as the acting National Charman of Labour Party, upon the demise of the previous occupant.

“An order of the Court restraining the 2nd Respondent, Barr Julius Abure, or any other person whomsoever, from acting, or assuming office, and or from continuing to act as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, besides the Appellant herein, Chief Callistus Okafor.

“The Court below held in law when it held that the complaint of the 1st Respondent, as well as his claims, are purely intra-party disputes based on the 6th Respondent’s own internal affair over which neither the lower court nor even this court has any jurisdiction whatsoever to meddle and interfere with how the Labour Party, the 6th Respondent, runs and manages its own internal affairs.

“The Supreme Court had variously held, that though the political parties can run their affairs as they want, the Party and its members must conduct their affairs in accordance with their constitution.

“The conducts complained against in this matter, were not in tandem with the

“The Court below failed to consider, conducts, in contravention of the clear provisions of the Constitution of Labour Party, which empowers the Appellant to approach the lower court in accordance with section 6(6b) of the 1999”

“The Lower Court erred in law and denied the Appellant fair hearing when it suo motu raised the issue of abuse of court process, and dismissed the Appellant’s originating processes, without affording the Appellant an opportunity to make representations, in its judgment.”