The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, reaffirming its earlier judgment from November 13, 2024.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Hamma Barka, ruled that its previous decision, recognizing Abure as the Labour Party’s national chairman, remains valid and has not been overturned by any court.
This ruling was delivered while addressing two separate appeals filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, the caretaker committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In its judgment, the appellate court stated that it refrained from ruling on the leadership dispute within the Labour Party, as such matters are deemed non-justiciable.
The court emphasized that any action taken outside its jurisdiction is considered a nullity. As a result, the ruling by the Federal High Court on October 8, 2024, led by Justice Emeka Nwite, was rendered invalid due to the lack of jurisdiction.
The court’s decision to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction rested on its reliance on the November 13 judgment, which firmly maintains that “Abure Remains National Chairman of the Labour Party.”
Justice Nwite’s ruling in October 2024 had affirmed the leadership of the Abure-led faction and the legitimacy of the March 2024 Nnewi convention that produced the national leadership.
Additionally, Justice Nwite ordered INEC to recognize Abure as the legitimate Labour Party chairman, effectively overturning the Commission’s earlier stance questioning the validity of Abure’s leadership.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite had stated, “I am of the view that and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails. 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.”
INEC had previously argued that the Labour Party’s national convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, claiming the party failed to meet the necessary legal requirements for holding the convention.
