Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the legitimate Chairman of the Labour Party.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite upheld the leadership of Abure and validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention, which established the party’s national leadership.
The judge also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize Abure as the rightful chairman, dismissing the Commission’s prior position that questioned the legitimacy of his leadership.
In his words, “I am of the view that and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails.
The plaintiff has proved his case. I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had contended that the Labour Party’s national convention violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, arguing that the party did not meet the necessary legal requirements for holding the convention.
INEC stated that Julius Abure’s tenure as National Chairman had expired in June 2024, asserting that he was no longer the legitimate leader of the party. This stance was part of the commission’s response to a lawsuit filed by the Labour Party, which challenged its exclusion from INEC’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
INEC further argued that the Labour Party’s March 2024 convention, which re-elected Abure as chairman, was invalid due to its non-compliance with constitutional and electoral provisions. The commission emphasized that it only engages with parties that have recognized and legitimate leadership.
Led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Tanko Inuwa, INEC’s legal team argued that the declaratory reliefs sought by the Labour Party could not be granted without proper evidence, and that the party had failed to demonstrate compliance with legal procedures for convening its national convention, rendering its leadership invalid.