Appeal Court Reaffirms Abure as Labour Party Chairman, Rules out Senator Nenadi’s Leadership

On Friday, the Court of Appeal reaffirmed Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. The court also ruled that Senator Esther Nenadi Usman and other members of the Caretaker Committee do not have the authority to determine the leadership of the Labour Party.

Presided over by Honourable Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, the court based its decision on a previous judgment delivered on November 13, 2024, in Appeal Number CA/Abj/CV/1172/2024, where the Labour Party was the appellant against Chief Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni and INEC as respondents.

Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, stated that the court determined the two appeals heard that day—(1) Senator Esther Nenadi Usman & others vs. Labour Party & others (CA/ABJ/CA/1217/2024) and (2) INEC vs. Labour Party (CA/Abj/CV/1232/2024)—were unable to establish the leadership of the Labour Party. The court found that these appeals arose from an incompetent suit, as the trial court lacked jurisdiction to decide on the party’s leadership, rendering it a mere academic exercise.

The court directed all parties involved in the appeals, as well as the general public, to respect the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on November 13, 2024, which reaffirmed Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.