Court confirms Abure as Labour Party Chair
The Federal High Court in Abuja has officially recognized Julius Abure as the substantive National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a ruling delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, the court upheld the leadership of Abure and validated the March 2024 Nnewi Convention that elected the party’s national leadership.
Justice Nwite also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to acknowledge Abure as the legitimate chairman, contradicting INEC’s previous position that deemed Abure’s leadership invalid.
INEC had contended that the Labour Party’s national convention, held in Anambra State, breached the Constitution and the Electoral Act, asserting that the party did not fulfill the legal requirements for conducting the convention and claiming that Abure’s tenure was set to expire in June 2024.
In September, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, alongside the party’s sole governor, Dr. Alex Otti of Abia State, and other key members, held a stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, Abia State. During this meeting, they elected former Minister of Finance Mrs. Nenadi Usman as the head of a 29-member caretaker committee aimed at resolving the party’s internal crisis and outlining a path forward.
However, the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) dismissed this meeting as illegal and without effect.
Following the court ruling on Tuesday, Abure expressed his joy over the decision, noting that the Federal High Court in Abuja, under Justice Emeka Nwite, had reaffirmed his leadership by upholding the results of the party’s convention held in Nnewi.
“This victory is not just mine; it’s a triumph for justice and democracy. It reaffirms the rule of law and legitimizes our party’s leadership. I must first thank Almighty God for guiding us through this challenging time.
“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the judiciary, especially Justice Emeka Nwite, for his courage and integrity in delivering a judgment that upheld justice against external pressures. His well-reasoned ruling has restored our faith in the judiciary and renewed our hope for democracy in Nigeria,” Abure stated.
He also praised Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court, who previously validated the LP convention in Nnewi, noting that his ruling laid the groundwork for subsequent decisions.
“Now that the court has spoken, I offer my forgiveness to those who attempted to undermine our party, engaged in character assassination and blackmail especially of my person. It is my sincere hope that those involved in these actions will reflect on their mistakes, come forward with a repentant heart, and reconcile themselves with the party.
“In doing so, they should also consider restitution for the damages they have caused us. Only then can we truly move forward, heal our party, and work for the common good of Nigeria. Be that as it may, I call on Peter Obi, the former Presidential candidate of our party to help unite the party,” Abure said.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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