The Federal High Court in Abuja confirmed Mr. Julius Abure as the legitimate National Chairman of the Labour Party.
The court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, also mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to acknowledge Abure’s leadership and grant the party full recognition, including all rights and privileges as a registered political entity in Nigeria.
The court directed INEC to conduct refresher training for the upload of Labour Party agents’ information onto its portal, specifically in preparation for the upcoming Ondo Governorship Election scheduled for November 16, 2024. INEC was also ordered to provide Abure with the necessary Access Code to ensure the party’s full participation in the election process.
This ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Abure, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, with INEC as the sole defendant. In his affidavit, Abure recounted that following the passing of the party’s former National Chairman, he was duly elected to the role during a National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.
READ ALSO : INEC disputes Abure’s leadership of Labour Party amidst internal strife
Abure highlighted that his leadership was reinforced at subsequent NEC meetings, including one on April 18, 2023, in Asaba, Delta State, which was monitored by INEC. During that meeting, expired tenures of State Chairmen were renewed, anti-party members were expelled, and replacements for vacant roles were made.
The Labour Party under Abure’s leadership successfully fielded candidates for both the Edo and Ondo State gubernatorial elections. However, a critical issue arose when Abure became aware that INEC had failed to notify him about training for uploading data to its portal for the Ondo election. He brought the matter to court, requesting INEC’s recognition of his leadership and access to the portal.
The court’s decision effectively nullifies any leadership dispute within the Labour Party and solidifies Abure’s position ahead of the Ondo gubernatorial election, marking a key victory for his faction.
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