The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party has deepened, as embattled National Chairman Julius Abure moves to challenge a recent appellate court ruling at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had dismissed Abure’s case and affirmed an earlier judgment removing him as national chairman of the party. The court also upheld the recognition of Nenadi Usman as the legitimate leader of the party.
The appellate ruling followed a prior decision of the Federal High Court, which relied on an earlier Supreme Court pronouncement that nullified the process that brought Abure into office. The courts maintained that his tenure had expired and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Usman’s leadership.
However, Abure has rejected the ruling, describing it as unacceptable and contrary to established legal principles. He insisted that the party’s 2024 convention remains valid and continues to legitimise his leadership.
“We have seen what transpired today at the Appeal Court and we want to say very clearly that the judgment is not acceptable to all of us in the Labour Party led by my humble self,” Abure said.
“I want to say very clearly that the judgment is against all known principles of law. The courts, the Supreme Court and all courts in Nigeria have stated very clearly that the issues of leadership of a political party is an internal affair of a political party.”
He also dismissed claims that his tenure had expired, maintaining that the convention held on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi remains valid.
“It is also not true and I disagree when people say that the tenure of this executive has expired. Nigerians will recall that on the 27th of March 2024, we had a valid convention that was held in Nnewi and that convention is still valid and subsisting for four years,” he stated.
Abure further faulted the Umuahia meeting that produced a caretaker committee, arguing that it contravened the party’s constitution.
“I must also say clearly that the Umuahia meeting which produced the Caretaker Committee was also against the Labour Party constitution. It is only the National Chairman and National Secretary of a political party who has the power to convene any NEC meeting,” he added.
He confirmed that his legal team has been instructed to challenge the ruling at the apex court.
“Today’s decision of the Appeal Court is not acceptable to us and we reject it in its entirety. We have put our legal team together and we are going to file an appeal and move to the Supreme Court,” Abure declared.
The latest move sets the stage for a decisive legal battle that could determine the future leadership of the Labour Party.
