Federal High Court Declares Julius Abure as Legitimate Labour Party Chairman.

Federal High Court Declares Julius Abure as Legitimate Labour Party Chairman.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the substantive National Chairman of the Labour Party, following a ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday. The court’s judgement confirmed the legitimacy of the March 2024 Nnewi convention, which produced Abure’s leadership.

The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Abure’s chairmanship, overturning the electoral body’s previous stance that his leadership was invalid. INEC had argued that the Labour Party’s national convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act, citing that Abure’s tenure had expired in June 2024.

INEC had further maintained that the party did not meet the legal requirements for holding its national convention, resulting in its refusal to engage with the party’s leadership. This came after the Labour Party had filed a lawsuit challenging their exclusion from INEC’s refresher training ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite dismissed INEC’s arguments and affirmed the Abure-led leadership, effectively validating the Labour Party’s national convention and overriding INEC’s objections. This decision brings clarity to the party’s leadership structure and reinforces the March 2024 election results that secured Abure’s position.

This legal battle comes amidst internal conflicts within the Labour Party, with stakeholders, including its presidential candidate in the last general election, Mr. Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, pushing for a caretaker committee to organize the party’s congresses. Despite these moves, the court’s judgement firmly reinstates Julius Abure as the party’s recognized leader.