The Court of Appeal Abuja has reiterated that Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
A three-member panel of the appellate court in a judgement delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, held that its judgement of November 13, 2024, which recognises Abure as national chairman subsists and has not been set aside by any court.
Justice Barka made the declaration while delivering judgment in two separate appeals filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman and the caretaker committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appellate court in the two separate appeals held that it did not delve into the issue of the leadership of the Labour Party, because such issues are not justiciable.
According to the appellate court, anything that is done outside jurisdiction amounts to a nullity. Hence the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on October 8, 2024 by Justice Emeka Nwite is of no effect because it was delivered without jurisdiction.
While striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction, he held that the appellate court relied on its previous judgement of November 13 last year to hold that “Abure Remains National Chairman of the Labour Party”.
Justice Nwite had in his judgement in October 2024, affirmed the Abure-led leadership and the March 2024 Nnewi convention that produced the national leadership.
Justice Nwite further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Abure as the legitimate chairman, overriding the Commission’s earlier stance that Abure’s leadership was invalid.
In his words, “I am of the view that and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails.
“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 argued that the Labour Party’s national convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act and that the party failed to meet legal requirements for holding the convention.
