The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court declined on Wednesday to restrain the embattled Labour Party chair, Julius Abure, from conducting the party’s national convention, scheduled for today in Umuahia, Abia.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, rather ordered the plaintiff, Chidozie Ezeugwa, to put all the defendants on notice of the ex parte application moved by his lawyer, Ammeh Ammeh.

“I have studied the motion ex-parte, the prayers sought therein and the averments in the affidavit in support.

“Upon doing that, it is my opinion that this is not an application to be granted without hearing the other side.

“Therefore, I make an order for the applicant to put the defendants on notice of the ex-parte application forthwith and also for applicant to serve the respondents all processes filed in this suit within two days of this order,” the judge said.

The judge thereafter ordered the defendants to show cause on the next date why the applicant’s application ought not to be granted.

The matter was then adjourned until April 4 for Mr Abure and others to show cause.

The other defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/383/2024 include Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu, Labour Party and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as second to fifth defendants, respectively.

In the motion ex parte dated March 20 but filed March 22 by Christ N., Ezeugwa sought three orders.

These include an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants jointly and severally from taking steps or any further step in conducting the planned national convention of his party “at Umuahia, Abia state, Nigeria, or any other venue whatsoever called any were in Nigeria on 27th day of March 2024 or any other date whatsoever until the hearing and determinations of originating process herein.”

He also sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC “from attending the unilateral planned national convention of the plaintiff party (Labour Party)” at the venue and date until the hearing, determinations of the originating process, etc.

In the affidavit he personally deposed to, Mr Ezeugwa averred that he was a card-carrying member of the Labour Party, paid all the dues, and qualified to attend all its meetings, including the national convention.

He said he was aware of the terms of the settlement between the party and the Nigeria Labour Congress, which prevented the party from holding a national convention in March 2024.

He said the unilateral group’s issuance of the letter to review the earlier date fixed for the national convention backwards was intended to frustrate members like him, among others, from attending the convention.

(NAN)