Setback for Peter Obi as Court Returns Abure as Labour Party Chairman

The Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit brought before Justice Emeka Nwite has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Julius Abure as the substantive Chairman of the Labour Party.

Justice Nwite on Tuesday delivered the ruling validating the Abure-led leadership of the party.

He also validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention of the Party that produced the national leadership, while issuing an order compelling the INEC to recognise the leadership.

It was earlier reported on September 18 that the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) accused the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, of betrayal.

Abure camp had made the accusation after the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) announcement that it did not recognise Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

Meanwhile, in a counter-affidavit filed by INEC at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the electoral body responded to a lawsuit by the Labour Party, which challenged its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

INEC had argued that the party’s leadership, including Abure, was invalid and that the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure as chairman violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.

INEC had emphasised, “It only deals with parties that have legitimate leadership in place.”

The electoral body, through its legal team led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, also stated that the Labour Party’s suit sought declaratory reliefs that could not be granted based on admissions alone, asserting that the party needed to prove its case.

Due to the failure of the Labour Party to meet legal requirements for holding its national convention, INEC argued, the party no longer had valid leadership.

The commission had urged the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s suit, maintaining, “The Labour Party is not entitled to the reliefs it is seeking.”

The Abure-led faction in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, had criticised those pushing for Abure’s removal, saying that many lacked the funds to purchase nomination forms ahead of the 2023 elections.

It had also been reported in May that the Labour Party crisis deepened as a Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an order barring the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure and the National Secretary, Farouk Ibrahim from parading themselves as national leaders of the party.

Also restrained by the court from parading themselves as the national officers of the Labour are the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu and the Treasurer, Oluchi Opara.