Court affirms Abure as Labour Party’s national chairman

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, declared Julius Abure as the substantive national Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Justice Emeka Nwite had, in a judgement affirmed the Abure-led leadership and the March 2024 Nnewi convention of the party that produced the national leadership of the party.

The court further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Abure as the legitimate chairman, overriding the Commission’s earlier stance that Abure’s leadership was invalid.

According to the Judge, “I am of the view that and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants 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”, the Judge held.

The plaintiff (Labour Party) in its suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024 listed INEC as the sole defendant, where-in it asked the court to decide, among other things, whether by the combined interpretation of Sections 251(1)(r) and 285(14)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 43 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the plaintiff is entitled to be issued the Notice of the Refresher Training for Upload of Political Party Agents into INEC’s Portal for the Ondo State Governorship Election scheduled to hold on 16th November 2024 by the defendant.

The plaintiff also prayed the court for an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party, under the leadership of Abure, all the rights and privileges accorded to a political party duly registered in Nigeria and a cost of N5 million for the action.

INEC had argued that the Labour Party’s national convention violated the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act and held that the party failed to meet legal requirements for holding the convention.

The Electoral body said that, Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of the Labour Party, citing that his tenure expired in June 2024.

The announcement by INEC was made in response to a suit filed by the Labour Party, challenging their exclusion from INEC’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

According to INEC, the Labour Party’s March 2024 National Convention, which re-elected Abure as chairman, violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act and INEC argued that the party’s leadership is invalid and that they only engage with parties that have legitimate leadership in place.

INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, emphasized that the Labour Party’s suit sought declaratory reliefs that cannot be granted based on admissions alone, and that the party needs to prove its case.

According to INEC, as a result of the failure of the Labour Party to meet the legal requirements for holding their national convention, the party has no valid leadership.

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