Labour Party: Court Affirms Julius Abure as Substantive National Chairman

Labour Party Leadership Crisis Deepens

“I am of the view and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendant's attempt to impeach the validity...”

Former Senator Nenadi Usman to lead Labour Party's restructuring efforts as chair of 29-member caretaker committee, backed by Peter Obi, Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Governor Alex Otti.

A federal high court in Abuja has made a significant ruling, declaring Julius Abure as the substantive chairman of the Labour Party (LP). This judgment, delivered by Presiding Judge Emeka Nwite, validates Abure's leadership and the March 2024 Nnewi convention that elected the party's national executives.

Justice Nwite ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Abure as the legitimate chairman, effectively overriding INEC's previous stance that Abure's leadership was invalid. It's worth noting that INEC had argued that the LP's national convention violated the Constitution and Electoral Act, and that the party failed to meet legal requirements for holding the convention.

The court's decision is a significant development in the LP's leadership saga. Abure's tenure was previously declared expired by INEC in June 2024. However, with this ruling, Abure's position as chairman is reaffirmed, bringing clarity to the party's leadership structure.

Pointers 

Court Ruling: Federal high court in Abuja declares Julius Abure as substantive chairman of Labour Party (LP) 

Validation of Leadership: Abure's leadership and March 2024 Nnewi convention validated

INEC Directive: INEC ordered to recognize Abure as legitimate chairman 

Previous Dispute: INEC had declared Abure's leadership invalid, citing constitutional and electoral act violations.

“I am of the view and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendant's attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails,” the judge held.

“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.”

The Labour Party's leadership crisis took a dramatic turn when INEC invalidated Julius Abure's position as national chairman, citing violations of the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act. According to INEC, the party's national convention in Anambra on March 27, 2024, where Abure claimed re-election, didn't meet legal requirements. To make matters worse, Abure's tenure had expired in June 2024.

Tensions within the party began escalating in February when Oluchi Oparah, national treasurer, accused Abure of mismanaging N3.5 billion. Abure denied the allegations and threatened to take legal action against Oparah. This sparked widespread calls from party members for Abure's removal.

In April 2023, the FCT High Court intervened, restraining Abure, Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu, and Oluchi Opara from claiming national office roles within the party. However, in a surprising twist, the Federal High Court in Abuja later upheld Abure's position as national chairman.

To address the ongoing leadership crisis, Abia Governor Alex Otti convened a stakeholders' meeting in Umuahia. Key attendees included Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, LP's 2023 presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The meeting resulted in the appointment of Nenadi Usman, a former senator, to chair a 29-member caretaker committee on September 4.