Labour Party calls Kano court sacking of Otti, others ‘black market judgement,’ set to appeal

Labour Party has described last Friday’s Kano State High Court order sacking the Abia Governor-elect, Mr Alex Otti, as well as other party candidates elected during the 2023 General Elections as ‘a black market judgement,’ just as it disclosed that it will, however, appeal the ruling.

The party which accused its expelled officers for being behind the ‘inconsequential judgement,’ adding also that the Kano Court ‘is also not a tribunal which has the constitutional powers to entertain pre-election matters.’

Reports emerged Friday that a Kano State High Court had ruled that all candidates elected under the platform of the Labour Party during the 2023 season election stand disqualified as the party failed to submit its membership register before the 30-day window directed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The judgement delivered by Justice M. Nasir-Yunusa, however, did not include the Abia State Governor-elect, Otti, INEC, and others as parties to the suit. Also, with a suit filed on May 11, the judgement was purportedly delivered on May 18 with no response or counter-application submitted by the defendants.

Justice Yunusa in the suit marked ; FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC) ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.

“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted vote,” the Judge ruled.

However, in a twist, Justice Nasir-Yunusa, same Friday, clarified the judgement he delivered earlier in respect of Labour Party candidates, stating that he did not nullify the candidature of Dr Otti, who contested the election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) contrary to what is being reported in the media.

The judge, instead, said it nullified the election of the Kano LP candidates that contested the 2023 general election.

Justice Nasir-Yunusa affirmed that the candidates in Abia who took part in the just-concluded general elections were not parties in the suit, adding that the court declared only the primary election of the Labour Party in Kano State null and void.

Justice  Nasir-Yunusa said the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election in Abia were not parties before his court.

“This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of certificate of return. They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate division of the court.

 “They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate division of the court,” Justice Nasir-Yunusa.

Reacting to the Kano court ruling, Friday, the Labour Party fresh from reassuming its control of the party from the factional group headed by Lamidi Apapa, described the judgement as ‘laughable, and holds no water,’ just as it accused the party’s former National Legal Adviser Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan of ‘initiating series of letters to various tribunals asking for withdrawal of Labour Party’s cases before them.’

According to the party, ‘while the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal was sitting in Abuja with all attentions focused on it, Akingbade clandestinely sneaked out of Abuja to Kano state where he in collaboration with some members of the other political parties asked the court to invalidate all the elections won by the Labour Party, particularly, the national assembly in the 36 states and FCT on the ground that the party didn’t submit register of voters to INEC.’

“The former National Legal Adviser Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan has since ceased from being an officer of the party and his appearance for the party is not with any authorization from the leadership of the party’s National Working Committee.

“You will recall that on Wednesday, we raised an alarm that suspended National Legal Adviser Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan, while the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal was sitting in Abuja with all attentions focused on it, clandestinely sneaked out of Abuja to Kano state where he in collaboration with some members of the other political parties asked the court to invalidate all the elections won by the Labour Party, particularly, the national assembly in the 36 states and FCT on the ground that the party didn’t submit register of voters to INEC.

“Akingbade who presented himself as representing the Labour Party, did not oppose the motion, thus forcing the helpless judge to reserve judgement for Thursday. On hearing the evil agenda of Apapa’s plot, the party directed one of its counsels to appear on its behalf, an attempt that was rejected by the judge, who went ahead to give judgement against the party.

The judgement is not only inconsequential but also laughable and holds no water. The court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain an election matters at a time when elections have since been concluded and winners emerged. The Kano Court is also not a tribunal which has the constitutional powers to entertain pre-election matters.

“The two respondents in the matter are Labour Party and INEC. No individual is mentioned in the matter and no court can grant any relief that is not sought for. So we lose no sleep on the black market judgement as we will soon direct our lawyers to approach the Appeal Court to vacate the ill conceived judgement.

“Labour party has repeatedly raised the alarm of the plots by the opposition parties to ensure that Labour Party is engulfed in crisis. Few weeks ago, we alerted Nigerians of plots to hijack the party and by extension, target all our cases in the tribunal. We have since produced evidences of the letters initiated by Akingbade to various tribunals asking for withdrawal of cases before them.

“For the upteempth time, Samuel Akingbade, Lamidi Apapa, Abayomi Arabambi and everyone in that camp have ceased to be representing Labour Party in whatever capacity and statement serves as a disclaimer on them and for the information of Nigerians.

“Today at the FCT state High Court before Justice Hamza Muazu in a matter between Apapa’s group and Abure, the Judge among other things reprimanded Apapa camp for attempting to take over the leadership of the Labour Party and constituting themselves into a nuisance,” the statement signed by Labour Party’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, read.