“BREAKING: Court Upholds Julius Abure as Labour Party Chairman, Setback for Peter Obi and Otti”

Babatunji Wusu –

• The Federal High Court ruled that INEC must recognize Julius Abure as the legitimate Chairman of the Labour Party.
• The ruling confirmed the leadership established at the March 2024 Nnewi convention.
• The Abure faction accused Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti of betrayal following INEC’s non-recognition of Abure.
• INEC argued that the Labour Party’s leadership was illegitimate and urged dismissal of its legal case.
• The Abure-led faction criticized efforts to remove Abure from his position.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, has ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must officially recognize Julius Abure as the legitimate Chairman of the Labour Party. In a decision delivered on Tuesday, Justice Nwite upheld the leadership of the Abure faction and validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention that established the current national leadership, directing INEC to acknowledge this authority.

The Abure-led faction accused Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of betrayal, following INEC’s earlier declaration that it did not recognize Abure as the National Chairman.

This legal dispute arose when the Labour Party contested its exclusion from a refresher training session for party agents in preparation for the upcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections. In response, INEC filed a counter-affidavit, asserting that the party’s leadership, including Abure, was illegitimate. They claimed that the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.

INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, argued, “We only engage with parties that have legitimate leadership in place.” They contended that the Labour Party’s request for declaratory reliefs was insufficient and lacked the necessary proof. INEC maintained that due to the Labour Party’s failure to adhere to legal standards for conducting its national convention, the party lacked valid leadership and urged the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s case, asserting, “The Labour Party is not entitled to the reliefs it seeks.”

In response, the Abure-led faction, through spokesperson Obiora Ifoh, criticized those advocating for Abure’s ouster.