How Judiciary Fomented LP Leadership Crisis- Osuntokun

The director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, Akin Osuntokun has accused the judiciary of being responsible for the instability in the party.

On April 5, a federal capital territory (FCT) high court issued an order restraining Julius Abure from parading himself as the national chairman of the party.

Speaking in a television interview on Thursday, Osuntokun said the judge who gave the restraining order made a wrong decision.

He said his actions are the reasons why the activities of the LP are in turmoil.

“There is nothing going on there other than the crisis of the judiciary. It is a judge that made a judgement that is now responsible for creating a crisis in the Labour Party,” he said.

“There was a judge here who in his discretion said that Abure — who has been chairman for the primaries of the presidential and governorship candidates — should no longer parade himself as the chairman.

“He could have made a more logical position of what was brought before him. We have now come to see that judges in Nigeria rely more on technicalities, evasive tactics, and scapegoatism to take very crucial positions.

“It is the judge who gave this judgement that is causing this crisis right now. Judges have options, he could have said to let him remain in office, while the court proceeding goes on. There is nothing that says you must now tell him to step aside.

“He had the options but decided to go for the one that will introduce crisis to the party. Those who brought the case are mischiefs, they are looking for an opening to introduce their mischiefs.

“I don’t know what purpose it serves the interest of justice or the stability of the party or the politics of Nigeria for you to say that the man should now step down. The only beneficiaries of that judgement are those who brought the case.”