Appeal Court Sacks Abure, Affirms Usman As Labour Party Leader

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has dismissed the appeal filed by Barrister Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party, affirming earlier court decisions that recognised Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s legitimate leader.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel of Justices, the appellate court upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court, which had reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s earlier decision removing Abure as National Chairman.

But Abure has rejected the Appeal court judgement declaring that his camp has put their legal team together and they will file an appeal and move to the Supreme Court.

Reacting after the verdict yesterday, he said the judgement is against all known principles of law, adding that the Supreme Courts have stated that the issues of leadership of a political party is an internal affairs of a political party.

Earlier, the appellate judgment, delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, with Justices A. B. Mohammed and Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike concurring, held that the Supreme Court had conclusively settled the leadership dispute on April 4, 2025, when it nullified the convention that returned Abure as chairman.

The court agreed with the lower court that it had the constitutional authority under Section 251 to compel a federal agency such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to perform its statutory duties. This included directing INEC to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

It also upheld the legality of the party’s caretaker committee led by Usman, describing it as a doctrine of necessity put in place to provide leadership during a vacuum within the party.

The justices criticised Abure for what they described as an abuse of judicial process, noting that he had engaged in forum shopping by seeking relief from a Nasarawa State High Court on a matter already determined by the Supreme Court.

The court further held that the appeal lacked merit and constituted a misuse of court processes.

Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and a cost of ₦10 million was awarded against Abure for wasting judicial time on an issue that had already been conclusively resolved.

Reacting to the judgment, the Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the ruling as a victory for democracy and the rule of law.

She commended the judiciary for upholding justice despite attempts to undermine its integrity and thanked party members and supporters for their patience and loyalty during the leadership crisis.

Abure rejects Appeal Court decision, Heads to Supreme Court

Reacting Abure said, “We have seen what transpired today at the Appeal Court and we want to say very clearly that the judgement is not acceptable to all of us in the Labour Party led by my humble self.

“I want to say very clearly that the judgement is against all known principles of law. The courts, the Supreme Courts and all courts in Nigeria have stated very clearly that the issues of leadership of a political party is an internal affairs of a political party.

“It is also not true and I disagree when people say that the tenure of this executive has expired. That is untrue and very unacceptable to us. 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. I want to say that the court today didn’t look at that before arriving at the conclusion that the tenure has expired.

“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 of any of sort.

“I want to say very clearly that we are going to appeal that decision. 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,” he said.