‘Judgment Remains Valid!’ Court of Appeal Affirms Julius Abure as Labour Party National Chairman

On January 17, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Abuja reaffirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

The three-member panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, declared that its previous judgment from November 13, 2024, recognizing Abure’s leadership, remains valid and has not been overturned by any court.

This decision arose from two separate appeals filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, the caretaker committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The appellate court emphasized that it did not address the Labour Party’s leadership issues, as such matters are non-justiciable.

Consequently, the Federal High Court’s judgment from October 8, 2024, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, was deemed null and void due to a lack of jurisdiction. Justice Barka stated,

“We cannot say this appeal fails or succeeds because the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.”

This ruling reinforces the Federal High Court’s earlier decision on October 8, 2024, which also affirmed Abure’s position as the Labour Party’s National Chairman.

In that judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered INEC to recognize Abure’s leadership and validated the party’s March 2024 Nnewi national convention that produced the Abure-led executive. Justice Nwite asserted,

“The plaintiff has proved his case, and 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 to a political party duly registered in Nigeria.”

Despite challenges to his leadership, including claims from suspended deputy national chairman Lamidi Apapa, Abure’s position has been consistently upheld by the judiciary. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have also recognized Abure as the legitimate leader of the party.

This series of legal affirmations underscores Julius Abure’s continued leadership of the Labour Party, providing clarity and stability to the party’s structure and operations.