The Supreme Court has overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja that recognised Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a unanimous decision delivered yesterday in Abuja, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to affirm Abure’s position as LP’s chairman.
The justices held that the substance of the case was centered on party leadership, which falls under internal party affairs – a matter over which the courts lack jurisdiction.
The ruling nullifies the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s stance that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally rather than through judicial intervention.
The court declared that issues of leadership are internal affairs of a political party over which courts lack jurisdiction. The ruled that Abure’s tenure had since expired.
It ruled in favour of Nenadi Usman, a former senator, who heads the caretaker committee of the LP.
While dismissing the appellate court’s ruling, the Supreme Court said the opposing appeal by Abure’s faction of the LP lacked merit.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, in January 2025, affirmed Abure as the national chairman of the LP.
The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, upheld the October 8 judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give the LP under Abure’s leadership all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria.
Abure Remains LP National Chairman – NWC
In a swift reaction, the LP National Working Committee (NWC) said Abure remained the national chairman of the party despite the ruling of the Supreme Court.
At a press conference after the judgement, the legal adviser of the party, Kehinde Edun, said the Supreme Court insisted that the lower courts should have declined jurisdiction and should not have made pronouncements on the leadership of a political party.
He said, “The Supreme Court judgment didn’t sack LP national chairman, Abure, rather it rightly upheld the preceding and accumulated high courts and appeal court judgments, upholding the immutability of responsibility of the party structures to choose its leaders.
“The judgement did not also set aside the Appeal Court judgement in LP vs Ebiseni and 2 others, CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, delivered on November 13, 2024 which affirmed Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party. The judgement is still valid and subsisting and has not been appealed.
“The implication is very clear. Abure remains the Labour Party national chairman. The question is; who are the leaders of the party? The party’s constitution is clear as to who are the leaders of the party. The leadership of the party has been the National Working Committee led by Abure.
“The party constitution is also clear on who has the power to call for the national convention or any national meeting. Article 14 of 2024 constitution (as amended) gives powers to the national secretary of the party, “to issue notices of meetings of the National Convention, National Executive Councils, the National Working Committee (NWC) in consultation with and approval of the national chairman.”
On his part, the LP national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh noted that the National Convention of the party was called by the leadership on March 27, 2024 where leaders of the party emerged.
“The leadership of the party is therefore, satisfied with the judgement of the apex court which goes to reaffirm Abure as the national chairman of the party and the current NWC, as validly elected, having been duly nominated, endorsed and ratified through the internal mechanism of the party statutory organs in line with the party’s constitution.
“We are therefore calling on all true members of the party to abide by the judgement of the apex court, and to always resort to internal party mechanisms in resolving party affairs and not to always rush to the court.
“It is only the political parties that have the power to choose their leaders, not the courts. Everybody must learn to respect the decisions of the party and its constitution.
“The position of the Supreme Court is that, the structure of the party is capable of handling any matters as it concerns its affairs and as it is today, the LP national chairman is, and remains, Abure,” he added.
…Judgement Is Tonic For Party’s Stability – Lawmakers
Meanwhile, the LP Caucus in the House of Representatives has welcomed the judgment, describing it as an elixir for LP’s stability and reinvention.
According to the caucus, the ruling served as a warning to leaders who play “god” in a democracy, where the people ought to hold the ultimate authority.
The leader of the LP caucus in the House, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, who stated this on behalf of his colleagues, described judgement as a “veritable tonic for the revitalisation of the party” that has been engulfed by leadership tussle in recent times.
He thanked the apex court for the decisive judgment that has offered the party a new lease of life, saying that with the development, the LP will hasten to implement necessary mechanisms to restore internal peace and get the party back on track in order to reassure the teeming members of the party’s viability for future elections and its commitment to leadership that prioritises the interests and welfare of the people.
“In fact, by next week, we expect the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) led by respected former minister of finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, to convene an all-inclusive stakeholders’ meeting to chart the way forward,” he said.
The lawmaker emphasised that the party’s leadership crisis could have been prevented if the ousted chairman and his team heeded the Caucus’ advice, or addressed the concerns of other stakeholders.
These stakeholders, Ogene stated, had urged caution and greater sensitivity in managing the party’s affairs. But in a brazen display of arrogance and naked power-mongering, Abure had ignored these warnings, thus creating an environment for crisis to fester.
“It is this uncertainty of not being sure of getting the party’s ticket in the next general elections that has caused the Caucus to lose as many as six members,” Ogene said.
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