KEY POINTS

• Julius Abure retains Labour Party chairman position after Court of Appeal upholds position.
• Ruling when rejected by caretaker committee, it claims mandate from stakeholder.
• Divisions within the Labour Party are increasingly visible in a leadership crisis.

The leadership tussle within the Labour Party continued as Governor Alex Otti and Peter Obi backed the caretaker committee it has set up, for condemning the Court of Appeal’s ruling validating Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman.

The committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman insisted Saturday that it was the true Labour Party leadership body, asserting its mandate from stakeholders at an emergency convention.

Abure validated by court of appeal

Justice Hamma Barka of the Court of Appeal presided over Abuja Friday, upheld Julius Abure as chairman of the Labour Party affirming him in the national convention of the party held in March 2024, at Nnewi in Anambra State.

The three-member panel ruled that the issues of leadership in the party were non justiciable and set aside the October 17, 2024 ruling of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which dismissed Abure’s position.

Rebuttal by caretaker committee

The caretaker committee responded by criticizing the appellate judge’s judgement claiming procedural errors and also jurisdictional overreach.

Senator Usman and the National Secretary Darlington Nwokocha further reiterated their situs as the party’s legitimate leadership.

I think the Federal High Court erred by hearing the leadership dispute brought against Julius Abure.” In ignoring our counter-affidavit, it also violated our right to fair hearing,” the statement read.

It further insisted that the committee was duly constituted by stakeholders in September 2024 and that it has been managing the affairs of the party effectively.

A divided Labour party

The leadership crisis has put a spotlight on splits within the Labour Party, with the two sides claiming legitimacy. Another high profile court case since, favouring Abure, has seen Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti back the caretaker committee, but they say they have the backing of key stakeholders.

Two warring factions have also left the political future of the Labour Party uncertain as the two fight for control, putting the party’s cohesiveness on hold ahead of future elections.