Callistus Okafor, a former deputy chair (south) of the Labour Party (LP), says he has taken over the party.

Okafor hinged his declaration on a 2018 consent judgment of the federal high court which he claimed has not been obeyed.

At the time, there was a leadership tussle between late Abdulkadir Salam, a former chair of LP, and a group led by Salisu Mohammed, who had declared himself the national caretaker chair of the party.

In the consent verdict, Gabriel Kolawole, the judge handling the dispute, held that all parties convene an “inclusive” national convention.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Okafor said the convention ordered by the judge was not obeyed and it was on that “faulty structure” Julius Abure became national chair.

The former deputy chair, who was in the national working committee (NWC) with Salam, said he is taking over the party because he and his group are “beneficiaries” of that judgment.

“The owner of the house has taken the house. When I mean owner, I am not contesting Labour Party leadership with NLC, no,” he said.

“I’m talking about the process. The midwifing of this process (fresh convention).

“The 2014 convention is the right avenue to midwife it. For that reason Callistus Okafor is now the acting chairman of Labour Party.

“Sequel to the above development, members of the 2014 National Working Committee who are beneficiaries of the consent judgment have agreed to midwife an all-inclusive and expansive convention in compliance with the Consent Judgment delivered by Hon Justice G.O. Kolawole, and further agree to within six months embark on a purposeful reconciliation of all aggrieved members and groups to achieve a united, focused Labour Party that will redefine political leadership in Nigeria’s quest for a better nation.”

Okafor said his intervention is “a pivotal resolution of the long drawn legal battle for the soul of LP”.

President Bola Tinubu has formally received Pius Anyim, a former president of the senate, into the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Anyim defected to the ruling party in his ward in Ebonyi state last week.

Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, and Francis Nwifuru, governor of Ebonyi, led the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) to the Aso Rock villa on Wednesday.

Speaking with reporters after meeting with the president, the former senate president said the administration of Tinubu is doing well to cater to the needs of citizens.

He said there is a need for Nigerians to come together and ensure that the country progresses.

“This is a new dawn, and many people have agreed that the present administration is doing very well,” Anyim said.

“My determination is that Nigeria moves forward. There is a need that we all should put hands together to move the country forward.”

On Tuesday, Ezenwo Onyewuchi, senator representing Imo east, defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC.

Anyim, who has been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, and Onyewuchi are two bigwigs the ruling party has gained in two weeks.

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has rejected an appeal to nullify the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as its candidate for the upcoming Governorship Election in Edo.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by A. M Lamido, on Monday, dismissed the appeal filed by the embattled Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu.

Shaibu was earlier impeached from office but was recently reinstated by the court.

While dismissing the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/642/2024, for want of merit, Lamido held that it found no reason to set aside the May 27 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court further ruled that the trial court was right for refusing to invalidate the outcome of the PDP primary election based on the suit by the appellant. It awarded ₦1 million cost against the appellant.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had, in his judgment that was affirmed by the appellate court, held that Shaibu lacked the legal right to seek to nullify the outcome of the primary poll.

Omotosho further held that the plaintiff did not meet the condition precedent to confer such a legal right on him.

According to the court, no evidence was adduced to establish that he participated in the primary election he sought to nullify its outcome.

Omotosho held that it was a basic requirement of the law that a plaintiff must take part in a disputed election to be able to challenge its outcome in court.

He said that there was overwhelming evidence that the plaintiff was never physically present at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, where the primary election of February 22 took place.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shaibu had in the suit prayed to the court to issue an order stopping the INEC from accepting or recognising Ighodalo as the gubernatorial flag bearer of PDP in the election.

He contended that the primary election that produced Ighodalo was not conducted in compliance with both the Electoral Act and the party Constitution.

He prayed the court to, among other things, compel the party to conduct a fresh primary election in the state.