The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday, affirmed Mr. Julius Abure as the legitimate National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP.
In a unanimous decision, the three-member panel of the appellate court upheld the Federal High Court’s judgment from October 8.
The ruling had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to grant the LP under Abure’s leadership all rights and privileges reserved for a legally registered political party in the country.
The appellate court stated that it found no justification to overturn the decision made in favor of Abure by Justice Emeka Nwite.
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It is worth noting that following a leadership crisis within the LP, the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, moved to remove Abure from his position as National Chairman.
In an effort to fill the leadership void, the party established a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by former finance minister Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, with Hon. Darlington Nwokocha serving as the Secretary.
This decision followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting convened in Umuahia by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
The meeting, where Abure’s removal took place was led by his former ally, Mr. Peter Obi, the LP’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
Unsatisfied with the decision, Abure sought validation of his position as National Chairman through the high court.
Background of the Leadership Crisis
In an affidavit he personally submitted in support of his case, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, Abure explained that following the death of the LP’s previous National Chairman, he was lawfully elected as the Acting National Chairman during a NEC meeting held on March 29, 2021, in Benin City, Edo State.
Abure further stated that during a NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State on April 18, 2023, which was monitored by INEC, it was agreed that the tenures of State Chairmen whose terms had expired would be renewed.
He also mentioned that during this meeting, several party members engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements were made for the vacant positions.
Abure asserted that in accordance with a consensus reached at the meeting, the party held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was duly elected as National Chairman of the LP.
He added that under his leadership, the party fielded candidates for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
The plaintiff claimed that on June 28, 2024, INEC issued a notice for the inspection of sensitive election materials to him and 18 other National Chairmen of political parties for the Ondo and Edo state governorship elections.
However, he expressed dissatisfaction that a subsequent notice from INEC instructing political parties to nominate two individuals from their IT Units for training on how to upload data to INEC’s portal for the upcoming Ondo State election was not directed to him.
Abure stated that he learned about the notice for the training on August 21, 2024, as he is a member of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee.
Abure’s Legal Challenge and Court’s Ruling
As a result, he requested the court’s intervention to compel INEC to recognize him as the National Chairman of the LP.
Justice Nwite, in granting Abure’s request, found merit in his case.
The court also directed INEC to fulfill its legal obligation by conducting a refresher training for the LP’s agents on how to upload data to INEC’s portal and to issue Abure the required Access Code for the Ondo Governorship Election, which took place on November 16, 2024.
“I am of the view that and so hold that on the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants’ attempt to discredit the validity of the plaintiff’s leadership fails.
“The plaintiff has proven his case. I hereby order the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges granted to a political party duly registered in Nigeria,” Justice Nwite concluded.
Crediblenewsng.com
