Court affirms Abure as LP national chair

A federal high court in Abuja has declared Julius Abure as the substantive chair of the Labour Party (LP).

In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, affirmed the Abure-led leadership and the March 2024 Nnewi convention that produced the party executives.

Nwite ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Abure as the legitimate chair of the party.

“I am of the view and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendant’s attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails,” the judge held.

“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 earlier invalidated Abure’s leadership, saying the national convention violated the Nigerian 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.

BACKGROUND

In February, Oluchi Oparah, national treasurer of the party, accused Abure of misappropriating N3.5 billion.

Abure refuted the claim and threatened to sue Oparah.

Members of the party, however, began demanding for Abure’s removal.

In April 2023, the FCT high court issued an order restraining Abure from parading himself as the national chair 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 Oluchi Opara, treasurer; from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

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

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