Appeal Court Upholds Julius Abure as Labour Party National Chairman

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reaffirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), solidifying his leadership amid internal disputes.

In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Hamma Barka ruled that the court’s earlier decision in November 2024, which recognized Abure’s chairmanship, remains valid and has not been overturned. The ruling was in response to two separate appeals filed by Nenadi Usman, the party’s caretaker committee leader, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Barka stated that the appellate court did not address the leadership crisis within the party, as such matters are considered non-justiciable. He further emphasized that any legal action taken outside the court’s jurisdiction is invalid. Consequently, the court nullified an October 8, 2024, judgment by the Federal High Court, which had previously challenged Abure’s leadership, on the grounds that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

The leadership tussle within the Labour Party intensified following allegations of financial misconduct against Abure. In February 2024, Oluchi Oparah, the party’s National Treasurer, accused him of misappropriating N3.5 billion, a claim Abure denied while threatening legal action. These allegations led to calls for his removal, and by April 2023, an order from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court restrained Abure and other party executives from acting in their official capacities.

In September 2024, former Senator Nenadi Usman was appointed as the chairperson of a 29-member caretaker committee following a stakeholders’ meeting convened by Abia State Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia. The meeting was attended by key party figures, including 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed. INEC also weighed in on the dispute, declaring that the party’s national convention had violated the Labour Party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. The electoral body maintained that Abure’s tenure as chairman had expired in June 2024.

However, on October 8, 2024, the Federal High Court ruled in favor of Abure’s leadership and validated the party’s March 2024 convention in Nnewi, which had elected new party executives. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered INEC to recognize Abure as the legitimate national chairman.