THE NATION
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, has dismissed the objection raised by the suspended chairmen of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure and three other national officials of the party against a suit seeking their sack over alleged forgery and corrupt practices.
Justice Hamza Muazu, in a ruling on Friday held that his court has jurisdiction to hear and determine suit filed by some aggrieved members of the party.
The ruling was on the preliminary objection filed by Abure, and the suspended National Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Ibrahim. Justice Muazu faulted the argument by Abure and Ibrahim that the subject matter of the suit was within the realm of the internal affairs of the party on which no court could adjudicate. The judge held that it was no longer the law that the court could not adjudicate on issues relating to party’s internal affairs.
The judge noted that had the party been at peace with itself, there would not have been any need for the court to interfere in its affairs. “When there is no crack on the wall, there will not be need for an outsider to come mend it,” he said. Justice Muazu held that plaintiffs’ case was justiciable contrary to the argument by lawyer to Abure and Ibrahim, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), adding that the plaintiffs were right to have instituted the case via an originating summons.
