The Federal High Court in Abuja, under the authority of Justice Emeka Nwite, has confirmed Julius Abure as the rightful Chairman of the Labour Party. In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Nwite upheld the legitimacy of the leadership elected at the Labour Party’s March 2024 convention held in Nnewi, instructing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognise Abure’s leadership.
This decision follows a conflict within the party, where the Abure-led faction accused Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, of betrayal. This claim emerged after INEC refused to recognise Abure as the party’s National Chairman.
The legal dispute escalated when the Labour Party filed a lawsuit challenging its exclusion from an INEC refresher training for party agents ahead of the upcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections. In response, INEC submitted a counter-affidavit, asserting that Abure’s leadership was not valid and that the March 2024 convention which re-elected him contravened the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, argued that only parties with legitimate leadership could be engaged, and maintained that the Labour Party failed to meet the legal requirements for its convention. INEC urged the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s claims, stating the party was not entitled to the reliefs it sought.
Meanwhile, the Abure-led faction, through spokesperson Obiora Ifoh, criticised those pushing for Abure’s removal from leadership.
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