A federal high court in Abuja has declared Julius Abure as the Labour Party‘s (LP) substantive chairman.
In a decision issued on Tuesday, presiding judge Emeka Nwite validated the Abure-led leadership and the March 2024 Nnewi convention that selected the party executives.
Nwite directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to acknowledge Abure as the party’s rightful chair.
The judge held:
“I am of the view and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendant’s 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.”
INEC had already nullified Abure’s leadership, claiming that the national convention breached the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The electoral body stated that the party failed to meet the legal prerequisites for hosting the convention, citing Abure’s time as LP national chair, which expires in June 2024.
In February, the party’s national treasurer, Oluchi Oparah, accused Abure of misappropriating N3.5 billion.
Abure denied the claim, threatening to sue Oparah.
Members of the party, however, began calling for Abure’s removal.
In April 2023, the FCT High Court issued an order prohibiting Abure from representing himself as the LP‘s national chair.
While ruling on an ex parte application, Hamza Muazu, the presiding judge, prohibited Farouk Ibrahim, national secretary; Clement Ojukwu, national organising secretary; and Oluchi Opara, treasurer, from representing the party as national officers.
