In a significant legal development, a Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Barrister Julius Abure as the substantive National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), effectively putting an end to a leadership dispute that had cast a shadow over the party since the 2023 elections. The ruling, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, affirmed the Abure-led leadership of the party and recognised the outcome of the March 2024 Nnewi convention that produced the current party executives.
Justice Nwite ordered the (INEC) to recognise Abure as the legitimate chairman, stating that the plaintiff (Abure) had successfully proven his case. “The plaintiff has proved his case. I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria,” Nwite ruled.
This decision reverses the earlier stance taken by INEC, which had invalidated Abure’s leadership, citing that the Labour Party’s national convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act. INEC had argued that the party failed to meet the legal requirements for holding the convention and further insisted that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired in June 2024.
The ruling provides a resolution to the internal crisis within the Labour Party, which had been embroiled in leadership controversies since its involvement in the 2023 presidential election. Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, faced a tumultuous campaign in 2023, with internal divisions within the party weakening its overall electoral performance. Many political observers noted that the internal rifts, along with the Labour Party’s lack of cohesive structure and nationwide representation, had become a liability for Obi’s campaign.
The reinstatement of Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party by the Federal High Court carries significant implications for the party’s internal coherence and its ability to function effectively as an opposition force, particularly as it prepares for the 2027 elections. The judgment may further entrench internal divisions within the party, particularly between the Abure-led faction and the supporters of Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
