The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled in favour of Julius Abure, declaring him as the substantive Chairman of the Labour Party.
The judgement, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, confirmed the legitimacy of the Abure-led leadership and upheld the outcomes of the March 2024 Nnewi convention, where the national leadership of the party was selected.
In a decisive ruling, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Julius Abure as the legitimate chairman of the Labour Party, nullifying INEC’s previous position that his leadership was invalid.
INEC had previously argued that the Labour Party’s March 2024 national convention violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, asserting that the party failed to meet the legal requirements for holding the convention. INEC also claimed that Abure’s tenure had expired in June 2024, and as such, he was no longer the valid chairman.
The electoral body’s stance arose in response to a lawsuit filed by the Labour Party after INEC excluded the party from a refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. INEC’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Tanko Inuwa, argued that the Labour Party had not adhered to the proper legal processes in holding their national convention, rendering their leadership invalid.
Despite INEC’s objections, the court sided with the Labour Party, affirming Abure’s leadership. This ruling also overrides the interim caretaker committee that was set up following a stakeholders’ meeting in September, where presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti notified INEC of plans to organise congresses and a national convention within 180 days.
With this judgement, INEC is now compelled to recognise Abure as the Labour Party’s national chairman, restoring order to the party’s leadership structure ahead of upcoming elections.
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