Court of Appeal Reinstates Julius Abure as Labour Party’s National Chairman

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, has affirmed Mr. Julius Abure as the authentic National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

The decision came in response to a suit filed by the Chief Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party, which sought to bar the Abure-led Executives from piloting the affairs of the political party.

In a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, the Court of Appeal vacated an order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, which had previously restrained Mr. Abure from parading himself as the National Chairman of the LP.

The appellate court held that the High Court wrongly assumed jurisdiction in the matter, citing that the case should have been initiated through a Writ of Summon instead of an Originating Summon.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling addressed concerns about the statutory powers of Ward Executives of a political party to suspend National Officers, as well as the domestic affairs of a political party, which should not be subject to court intervention.

In addition to upholding Abure’s appeal, the court awarded a cost of N1million against the Respondents.

This decision by the Court of Appeal has settled the dispute over the leadership of the Labour Party and is expected to bring stability to the political party as it prepares for future elections.