Appeal Court reaffirms Julius Abure’s position as Labour Party National Chairman

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday reaffirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in two separate appeals.

A three-member panel of the court, led by Hon. Justice Hamma A. Barka, delivered the judgment on Friday.

The appeals were brought before the court by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman against the Labour Party and others, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the Labour Party and others.

Appeal Court Verdict

In the two separate appeals, the Court held that it would not delve into the issue of the Labour Party’s leadership, as such matters are not justiciable.

• Hon. Justice Hamma A. Barka, while delivering the judgment, also noted that the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the appeals originated, lacked jurisdiction to rule on a matter that is “purely an internal affair of the party.”
• The court ruled that “any action taken outside of jurisdiction is null and void.”

“As such, the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court on October 8, 2024, by Justice Emeka Nwite, was deemed ineffective, as it was delivered without jurisdiction, and therefore struck out by the Court,” Justice Barka stated.

• The Court struck out the case, holding that the motion raised by the appellant lacked jurisdiction and was therefore incompetent.
• The Appeal Court also ordered all parties to bear the cost of the case.

Furthermore, Justice Barka stressed that the Appeal Court relied on its November 13, 2024, judgment, which held that Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

He directed all parties, including INEC and the general public, to respect the subsisting decision.

Backstory

The Labour Party is one of the political parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

• It is closely associated with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the country’s workers’ union.
• Peter Obi was the Labour Party’s presidential flag bearer in the 2023 general elections.
• The party has faced internal divisions over leadership tussles, leading various blocs to institute legal actions both before and after the polls.
• The dispute over the party’s leadership resulted in two individuals claiming to be the Labour Party’s National Chairman during the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
• This led to minor disruptions at the proceedings but was contained because Peter Obi, as the first appellant, represented the party’s case at the Tribunal up to the Supreme Court.

Recall that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on October 8, 2024, affirming the Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party and ordering INEC to recognize and work with it.

This decision prompted some aggrieved parties to approach the Appeal Court for further redress.