Court affirms Usman as Labour Party Chair, quashes Abure’s appeal

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party.

The court affirmed the Federal High Court’s recognition of Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s legitimate national chairman and ordered Abure to pay ₦10 million for abuse of court process.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, the appellate court upheld the earlier decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court.

The January 21 ruling had earlier reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s removal of Abure as National Chairman and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Usman as the party’s leader.

The Court of Appeal further held that the Supreme Court had conclusively settled the Labour Party leadership dispute on April 4, 2025, when it nullified the convention that purportedly returned Abure to office.

The appellate court noted that this determination left no room for further litigation. It also validated the order directing INEC to recognize Usman, citing Section 251 of the Constitution, and upheld the Caretaker Committee’s formation under the doctrine of necessity due to the party’s leadership vacuum.

The justices were particularly critical of Abure’s conduct, censuring him for forum shopping at a Nasarawa State High Court on a matter already decided by the apex court.

Finding the appeal devoid of merit, the court imposed the ₦10 million cost against Abure for wasting judicial time.

Reacting to the judgment, Senator Usman described the ruling as a victory for democracy and commended the judiciary for its steadfastness in upholding the rule of law.