Appeal court affirms Abure as LP national chairman

The court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

In a judgement delivered on Friday by Hamma Barka, the court ruled that its earlier decision in November 2024, recognising Abure as the party’s chairman, remains valid and has not been overturned by any court.

The ruling came in response to two separate appeals filed by Nenadi Usman, the party’s caretaker committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Barka held that the appellate court, in the two separate appeals, did not address the leadership dispute within the party because such matters are not justiciable.

He said anything that is done outside jurisdiction amounts to a nullity.

Consequently, the court voided a judgement of the federal high court delivered on October 8, 2024, by Emeka Nwite on the grounds that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the suit.

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

BACKGROUND

In February, Oluchi Oparah, the party’s national treasurer, accused Abure of misappropriating N3.5 billion, a claim the LP chairman denied while threatening legal action.

The allegation led to calls from party members for Abure’s removal.

In April 2023, the FCT high court issued an order restraining Abure from parading himself as the national chairman of the LP.

While ruling on an ex parte application, Hamza Muazu, the presiding judge, also restrained Farouk Ibrahim, national secretary; Clement Ojukwu, national organising secretary; and Opara; from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

On September 4, Usman, a former senator representing Kaduna south, was appointed to chair a 29-member caretaker committee after Alex Otti, governor of Abia state, convened a stakeholders meeting of the party in Umuahia.

Peter Obi, LP’s presidential candidate in 2023, and Datti Baba-Ahmed, the running mate, were among the top party members that attended the meeting.

INEC had also invalidated Abure’s leadership, saying the national convention violated the constitution and Electoral Act.

The electoral body said the party failed to meet legal requirements for holding the convention, insisting that Abure’s tenure as LP national chair expired in June 2024.

But in a judgment on October 8, the federal high court affirmed the Abure-led leadership and the March 2024 Nnewi convention that produced the party executives.

Nwite ordered INEC to recognise Abure as the legitimate chairman of the party.