Appeal Court affirms Usman as LP leader

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has dismissed an appeal filed by Barrister Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party, affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s recognised leader. Senior Special Adviser (media) to the Interim National Chairman, Ken Eluma Asogwa, in a statement following the appellate court’s judgment stated that in a […]

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has dismissed an appeal filed by Barrister Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party, affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s recognised leader.

Senior Special Adviser (media) to the Interim National Chairman, Ken Eluma Asogwa, in a statement following the appellate court’s judgment stated that in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, with Justices A. B. Mohammed and Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike concurring, the court upheld the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which recognised Usman as the legitimate leader of the party.

The court held that the Supreme Court had already “conclusively settled the leadership dispute within the Labour Party” when it nullified the convention that produced Abure as national chairman.

It further agreed that the Federal High Court acted within its powers under Section 251 of the Constitution in directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Usman, noting that the caretaker committee led by her was “a doctrine of necessity needed to provide leadership in the party when there seemed to be a vacuum.”

The appellate court also faulted Abure for what it described as abuse of judicial process, accusing him of “forum shopping in a Nasarawa State High Court on a matter already decided by the Supreme Court”. Consequently, the court dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N10 million against Abure for “wasting judicial time on a matter that had already been conclusively determined.”

Reacting, Usman described the ruling as “a victory for democracy and the rule of law.”

Julius Abure, has however rejected the ruling of the Court of Appeal  saying the decision is unacceptable and will be challenged at the Supreme Court.

He argued that the judgement runs contrary to established legal principles, insisting that issues relating to party leadership remain internal affairs and also faulted claims that the tenure of the current National Working Committee had expired, describing such assertions as false. He further described the Umuahia meeting that produced a caretaker committee as unconstitutional.