The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has been suspended from the party in Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.

A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday night in Benin, stated that the suspension is with immediate effect.

It advised Abure to stop holding out or parading himself as a member of the party.

The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.

The letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni, and LG Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.

The ratification letter read, “Here forwarded to you and for your consideration is the ratification of the suspension of Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Ean North East LGA, Edo State.

“The LGA Executive met on 15th of May, 2024, about noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty and the suspension ratified and upheld.”

The State Executive Committee led by Kelly Ogbaloi endorsed the decisions of the ward and local government committee of the party on Friday.

The venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!”

The State Executive Committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

The Kano house of assembly has repealed the law that created five emirates in the state.

During plenary on Thursday, the legislators passed the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024.

In May 2019, the assembly approved the amendment of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, which paved the way for the balkanisation of the emirate.

The legislation was purportedly conceived to whittle the powers of Muhammadu Sanusi, then Emir of Kano.

Subsequently, Abdullahi Ganduje, then governor of the state, signed the bill into law.

With the law, Kano was divided into five emirates — Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi — with Emirs appointed into each emirate.

In March 2020, Ganduje deposed Sanusi as Emir of Kano “for total disrespect to lawful instructions from the office of the governor”.

During plenary last Tuesday, Lawan Hussaini Dala, the majority leader, moved a motion for the amendment of the law.

Dala said the law was not conceived in good faith, while raising concerns over the creation of the emirates.

Afterwards, the house resolved to amend the law.

The newly passed bill abolishes the five emirates and “all the appointments or offices arising therefrom”.

The bill also stipulates that the governor should restore the previous Kano emirate system.

TheCable understands that Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, is expected to sign the bill into law today.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has not changed its stance on the Rivers state house of assembly members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement issued on Thursday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the clarification is a rebuttal to a “mischievous report” that the party is considering changing its position.

Ologunagba said the report on social media “falsely” claimed that “there are plots to compromise the party’s position and provide an unattainable lifeline” to the former members of the Rivers state house of assembly who dumped the PDP.

“The Party also clarifies that it is not under pressure from any quarters to compromise its position in court, wherein it had already clearly stated that the former Rivers state lawmakers are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from December 11, 2023, when they publicly announced their defection from the PDP to the APC,” the statement reads.

“Our party therefore stands by its position that the affected members have since lost their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly having arrogantly committed an unpardonable constitutional breach.”

In December 2023, 27 members of the Rivers house of assembly defected from the PDP to the APC.

On Friday, a state high court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, restrained the defected assembly members from parading themselves as legislators.

The court also granted an interim injunction restraining Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as a speaker of the house.