The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a judgement delivered on Friday by Justice Hamma Barka, upheld its earlier judgment of November 13, 2024, which recognises Abure as National Chairman. The court confirmed that this decision has not been overturned by any other court.
Justice Barka made this declaration in the ruling on two separate appeals filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, the caretaker committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Court of Appeal stated that it did not address the issue of Labour Party leadership, as such matters are not justiciable.
The court further ruled that any action taken outside of jurisdiction is null and void. As such, the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court on October 8, 2024, by Justice Emeka Nwite, was deemed ineffective as it was delivered without jurisdiction, and the court proceeded to strike it out.
In striking out the suit, the Appeal Court reaffirmed its previous judgment from November 13, 2024, which declared that “Abure remains National Chairman of the Labour Party.”
Labour Party Leadership Tussle
Labour Party’s leadership tussle began shortly after the 2023 elections after a faction within the party accused Abure of misappropriation of funds and anti-party activities.
These allegations led to a court injunction in April 2023 that temporarily restrained Abure from acting as the LP’s national chairman. The case, filed by a faction within the party caused confusion as the two factions claimed leadership of the party.
Ever since the commencement of the case the party’s ability to compete favourably with other political parties during elections has been called into question. In recent months, numerous legislators elected on the platform of the party have decamped citing the internal crisis the party has been facing.
Significance of Judgement
The ruling of the Appeal Court provides some respite for Labour Party in the build up to the 2027 elections where the party would hope to have a good outing.
This judgement lays to rest months of speculation over the fate of the party’s leadership.
