Labour Party Crisis Deepens

April 07, (THEWILL) – Last Friday’s Supreme Court judgement sacking Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, has become a subject of subjective interpretation by factions of the party. The apex court in a unanimous judgment had set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which recognised Abure as LP National Chairman. This followed an appeal filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and one others, which challenged the judgment of the appeal court.

Ruling on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court held that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure as the National Chairman of the LP, having earlier determined that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership. It held that issues of leadership are internal affairs of a political party over which courts lack jurisdiction and noted that Abure’s tenure had since expired. The court also dismissed the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP.



Reacting to the judgement, the Abure-led National Working Committee, NCW, interpreted the apex court ruling to be in its favour. National Publicity Secretary of the Abure led- NCW, Obiora Ifoh said the court ruling affirmed Abure’s leadership. He said, “The Supreme Court judgment didn’t sack Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure.

Rather, it rightly upheld the preceding and accumulated High Court and appeal court judgments upholding the immutability of responsibility of Labour Party structures to choose its leaders. “The judgement did not also set aside the Appeal Court judgement in Labour Party vs Ebiseni and two others (CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024) delivered on 13 November 2024, which affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. The judgement is still valid and subsisting and has not been appealed.

“The implication is very clear. Abure remains the Labour Party national chairman. The question is: who are the leaders of the party? The party constitution is clear as to who the leaders of the party are.

The leadership of the party has been the National Working Committee led by Barrister Julius Abure.” The LP spokesman said the party’s constitution was also clear on who had the power to call for the national convention or any national meeting. He based his argument on Article 14 of the 2024 constitution as amended.

He said the article gives powers to the national secretary of the party “to issue notices of meetings of the national convention, national executive council, the national working committee in consultation with and approval of the National Chairman. “Accordingly, the national convention of the party was called by the leadership of the party on March 27, 2024, where the leaders of the party emerged. The report of the national convention is already with INEC and that leadership is recognised by INEC.

“The gathering of people in Umuahia is clearly not in line with the constitution, and therefore, the celebration by some persons that the leadership of Julius Abure has been sacked is only trying to be mischievous and misleading; the Supreme Court didn’t say so,” he added. He appealed to all members of the Labour Party to abide by the judgement of the apex court, always resort to internal party mechanisms in resolving party affairs and not to always rush to the court. Supporting his national spokesperson, National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Edun, said the apex court ruling did not recognise the caretaker committee, so Abure remains as National Chairman to finish his tenure.

He said, “It never mentioned that Abure’s tenure has expired. It only talked about the constitution of a political party, prescribing the tenure of office of an elected officer. That’s in the context of what is happening in the Labour Party today.

Yes, the tenure ended in 2019, extended for one year in 2023, and elapsed in 2024. “But before that time, a new National Convention was held and a new National Executive Committee of council was elected. Some old officers were re-elected while some new ones came in.

So, it is not true that the court said the tenure of Abure has expired. “Look at that document if you have it. It only gave general advice to all political parties that officers are elected for a term in office.

Once that term expires, the person either bows out or seeks re-election. The Supreme Court, by their statement today, said everybody should respect party supremacy and whatever decision it takes. “The Supreme Court also said today that the Constitution should be the document that should guide any political party in its operations and no caretaker committee was mentioned in the Constitution.

How will they come in? There is no way for them. So, the issue of the caretaker committee is nowhere. And that is the truth,” he noted.

Nevertheless, both the Caretaker Committee and the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission have hailed the judgement as a victory for their position. Acting National Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, said, “We always know a day like this will come.

We have done everything to give Abure a soft landing for him to leave the party leadership quietly in vain. But with this judgement, Abure has no choice than to leave.” He said the NLC will set up a committee to handle affairs of the party towards the conduct of the National Convention within 60 to 90 days.

According to him, it is the new committee that will be given a mandate of 60 to 90 days For Chairman of the Caretaker Committee set up by the NLC and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and lawmakers on the platform of the party, Senator Nenadi Usman, the aepx court ruling is a “significant milestone” for Nigeria’s democracy. She said, “It is important to emphasise that this is not a time for triumphalism—there is no victor and no vanquished. “What matters most is our shared commitment to the ideals and aspirations of the Labour Party and the Nigerian people.

We must now come together, united in purpose and vision, to move the party forward. “The Labour Party remains one indivisible family, steadfast in its mission to create a New Nigeria founded on justice, equity, and people-centred governance.”.