LP Crisis: Why We’re Heading To Apex Court – Caretaker Committee

The Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party backed by the former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said it will seek further clarification from the Supreme Court on the leadership dispute in the party, following an Appeal Court judgement which recognised Julius Abure as national chairman of the party.

The chairman of the Committee Sen. Nenadi Esther Usman, and it’s secretary, Sen. Darlington Nwokocha, said this in a statement reacting to the ruling of the Appeal Court.

The committee said the November 13, 2024, and January 17, 2025 rulings of the Court of Appeal brought up issues that only the Supreme Court can clarify, adding that it has instructed its lawyers accordingly.

Urging their supporters across the country to be patient, the committee recalled that on September 4, 2024 critical stakeholders of the party comprising its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the only governor elected on the party platform in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti and other elected and critical stakeholders across the country met in Umuahia, the Abia state capital and constituted the body to plan an all-inclusive national convention for the party before the Barr Julius Abure led team went to the court.

The statement read, “Firstly, today, 17th January 2025, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Abuja Division, in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1217/2024; Sen. Nenadi Esther Usman & Anor V. Labour Party & Anor, unreservedly allowed our appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, delivered on 8th October 2024 by Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite.”

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They said the Appeal Court judgment upheld the following: “Lack of Jurisdiction: The Court of Appeal affirmed that Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, filed before the Federal High Court by Barr. Julius Abure was a leadership dispute over which the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction.

“Error by the Federal High Court: The Federal High Court erred and acted without jurisdiction by entertaining the leadership dispute brought before it by Barr. Julius Abure.

“Violation of Fair Hearing: The Federal High Court violated our right to a fair hearing by failing to consider our Counter-Affidavit filed in opposition to the suit before it.

“Accordingly, the Court of Appeal struck out the suit filed before the Federal High Court for lack of jurisdiction.”

The committee said it was important to address what it called the erroneous and unsolicited finding by the Court of Appeal that, in a judgment, it delivered on November 13, 2024 in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024; Labour Party V. Olusola Ebiseni & ORS, Julius Abure was “admitted as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.”

It said the finding is completely inconsistent with the substantive judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal.

The Usman-led committee maintained that the judgment delivered on November 13, 2024 in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 pertained to the nomination of a governorship candidate for the Ondo State governorship election and that it has no connection whatsoever to the leadership dispute which was the crux of the instant suit.

“Furthermore, we reiterate the established legal principle in Nigeria that courts lack jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of political parties, including leadership and management issues. Therefore, we commend the Court of Appeal for upholding the position that the leadership dispute in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024 is non-justiciable and outside the court’s jurisdiction.

“Finally, we wish to remind the public that on 4th September 2024, the Labour Party constituted a National Caretaker Committee, appointing the undersigned, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman, as the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the National Caretaker Committee Secretary. Both have been diligently and effectively carrying out their duties to the admiration of stakeholders and the entire membership of the party,” the committee stated.