LP Drags National Chairman, Adebutu, 9 Others to Court over Ogun Party Structure

Crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) over the structure of the party, has deepened further, as the factional Chairman of the party in the State, Chief Biodun Owolabi, has dragged its National Chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, and ten others, including Hon Ladi Adebutu, the PDP lawmaker representing Ikenne/Sagamu/ Remo Federal Constituency to an Abeokuta Federal High Court.

Owolabi and two other Plaintiffs, in the writ of summons made available to newsmen in Abeokuta on Wednesday, are praying the court to restrain the National Chairman of the party and ten others from interferring in the party activities.

The Defendants, aside the National Chairman, include; the factional State Party Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General of the Department of the State Services (DSS) and an Ogun State Governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oladipupo Adebutu, who is also an incumbent Legislator in the lower chambers of the National Assembly.

Others are the Chairman of the PDP in the State, Hon. Sikirulahi Ogundele, the National Legal Adviser of Labour Party, Oyeleke Akingbade, former Chairman of the Party in the State, Bode Simeon, a Chieftain of the Party in the State, Saburi Aroyewun and the Party itself.

In the writ of summons, the Plaintiffs sought an interim injunction, restraining Arabambi, (6th Defendant), Adebutu, (8th Defendant), Akingbade (10th Defendant) and Ogundele (11th Defendant) from interfering, manipulating, and hijacking the affairs of the Labour Party.

The writ is also praying the court to restrain the National Chairman (5th Defendant), INEC (2nd Defendant), IGP (3rd Defendant), D-G DSS (4th Defendant), Simeon (9th Defendant), Aroyehun (7th Defendant) and Labour Party (1st Defendant), from either parading themselves or interfering in the affairs of the Party.

It would be recalled that the Party in the State has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis, following the emergence of two factional executives during the parallel congresses held last week in Abeokuta.

A faction led by Owolabi which held its congress at the Party Secretariat, Adatan, Abeokuta approached the court, asking it to restrain the other faction and its supporters from interferring or parading themselves as recognised lead- ers of the Party in the State.

The Plaintiffs in suit number FHC/A3/CS/10/18, claimed that their executives were duly formed by the authentic delegates of the Party across the 20 local governments in the State.

The Plaintiffs also said the other factional Chairman, Arabambi, allegedly connived with Adebutu with the motive to destabilise, disrupt and cause chaos in the party, hence the need to head to the court for justice to prevail.

The Plaintiffs, however, begged the court to enforce the law, following an order against the Defendants that," An order of perpetual injunction restraining all the Defendants from dealing with any person whatsoever apart from the executive committee members led by be granted.

“A declaration that the Ogun State Labour Party Congress held on 22nd day of January, 2018 at the Labour Party Secretariat in Abeokuta, was validly held in accordance with the Labour Party 2009 Constitution.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining all the Defendants from dealing with any person whosoever, apart from the executive committee members led by the first Plaintiff as the Labour Party officers/ committee in Ogun State.

“An order of injuction restraining the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Defendants from interfering, manipulating and hijacking the activities of the Labour Party in Ogun State, as they are not card carrying members of the Labour Party.

“An order of this honourable court invalidating any other congress(es) held or to be held in Ogun State including the kangaroo congress held at the hotel cum residence of the 8th Defendant, is illegal, unconstitutional and an attempt to disrupt the Labour Party activities in Ogun State.

“An order of this honourable court restraining the Defendants from opening a parallel State Secretariat or office of the first Defendant in Ogun State for registration of members or any political activities outside the Labour Party Secretariat at FAJ House,Abeokuta-Ibadan Expressway, Opposite NNPC filling station Car wash, Adatan Abeokuta.

“An order of this honourable court restraining the 5th – 11th Defendants and their loyalists, from parading themselves as Labour Party executive committee members in Ogun State.

“And for such further or other orders at this honourable court may deem it fit to make in the circumstances”, the writ stated.