Crisis: Court Orders Substituted Service For Defendants In Labour Party’s Chairmanship Suit

As Labour Party battles multiple factions, The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, ordered for substituted service of the originating summons, interlocutory injunctions and other processes on the respondents in a suit filed by Chief Calistus Okafor in which he is praying the court to declare him the authentic National Chairman of the Party.

During the sitting, the court presided by Justice I. E. Ekwo granted the request of Chief Okafor and ordered for substituted service on the 1st to 3rd respondents, 6th to 12th respondents, and 14th respondent which include Barrister Julius Abure, Umar Farouk, Barrister Akingbade Oyelakin, Comrade Salisu Mohammed, Comrade Lawson Osagie, Comrade Isa Aremu, Comrade Baba Aye, Comrade Ikpe Etokudo, Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor, Comrade Lucy Offiong and Hajia Salamatu Aliyu.

The court further ordered that the service should be effected within seven days of the order and adjourned the case till 30th June for further mention.

Speaking on the application for substituted service, Chief Okafor said that the aforementioned respondents have been frustrating various efforts to serve the originating summons, interlocutory injunctions and other processes on them. While maintaining that he remains the party’s authentic National Chairman, he reiterated his belief on the justice system.

It should be recalled that former governor of Anambra State Mr. Peter Obi joined Labour Party and registered with a faction of the party in Agulu after he was forcefully retired from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to his failure to gain support of the party’s structures in his home state Anambra and across the country.

He was later elected the presidential flag bearer of a faction of the Labour Party. Many observers have described Obi’s preference for Labour Party, a party battling numerous litigations over its leadership as a political miscalculation.