Labour Party on Thursday said that an an Appeal Court, sitting in Abuja delivered another devastating blow for the Lamidi Apapa led group by dismissing the appeal filed by one Mr Basil Maduka, who is contending for the party’s governorship seat for Imo state.

The party in a statement by it’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh explained that the court further held that “the appeal by the Labour Party was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that mere comments of the trial judge in the matter was not a judgement and should be discountenanced”. 

Labour Party had asked the Court of Appeal to quash the comments of the trial court in the Federal High Court Owerri. Labour party also told the court that Senator Athan Achonu won the party’s primaries. 

The party further called on its members and supporters to dismiss the claims by Apapa and his co-travellers that the court recognized their candidate as the authentic candidate of the party and Apapa as the legitimate Chairman.

“The attention seeking camp of Lamidi Apapa had earlier today as usual misinformed the public by twisting the clear judgement of the appellate court.

“It is therefore important to state that neither the Federal High Court Owerri nor the Court of Appeal Owerri, which sat in Abuja today made any orders in the matter other than for lack of locus standi against the plaintiff (Basil Maduka).

“Consequently, the status quo remains with Senator Athan Achonu as the validly nominated candidate of Labour Party for 2023 Imo governorship election” Ifoh stated

He went further to say that with the Court of Appeal judgment and the endorsement of Senator Achonu by its national leader Peter Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure and other stakeholders and party members, the dust has settled on the gubernatorial ticket issue. 

“Achonu has received the governorship flag of the party and has since flagged off his campaign with a well attended ceremony in Owerri on Tuesday” he said.

Recall that similarly, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City recently affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP). 

In the case of Mr Lucky Shaibu v. Julius Abure & 5 ORS (Appeal No: CA/B/93/2023), His Lordships Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua, Fatima Omoro Akinbami and Hon. Justice Sybil O. Nwaka-Gbagi in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeal of the Appellant.

In his lead judgment Justice Abadua, while nullifying the earlier suspension and all actions taken against Abure and the party arising from the purported suspension, affirmed the decision of the High Court of Edo State and held that one man cannot suspend the national chairman of Labour Party in line with Article 13 and 17 of the Constitution of the Party and the extant Electoral Act of 2022 particularly when the appellant has been described by the party as unknown. 

The party called on Labour Party members, Obidient faithfuls and the general public to distance themselves from the falling and compromised members of the party who have since been shoved out of the party.