‘You Have No Choice Than To Leave’ – NLC, LP, Others React As Supreme Court Sacks Abure

The leadership battle within the Labour Party took a new turn on Friday after the Supreme Court set aside a previous ruling that recognized the Anambra convention, which ratified the re-election of Julius Abure’s National Working Committee.

In a unanimous judgment, the five-member panel of the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision, which had recognized Abure’s leadership. The Court emphasized that matters concerning party leadership are internal affairs, and as such, the judiciary does not have jurisdiction over them. The Court also noted that based on the submissions presented, Abure’s tenure had expired, and as a result, it dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Abure’s faction of the party.

While media outlets widely reported that the Supreme Court had sacked Abure, the Labour Party leadership quickly issued a statement to clarify that the judgment had been misinterpreted. National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, responded in Abuja, praising the judgment as a validation of the party’s position that political matters are internal affairs.

Later, the party held a press conference where Ifoh reiterated that the judgment did not mean the dismissal of Abure. He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s ruling upheld previous judgments from the High Court and Court of Appeal, affirming that party structures, including the leadership, should be decided internally by the party.

“The Supreme Court judgment didn’t sack Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure. Rather, it rightly upheld the preceding and accumulated High Court and appeal court judgments upholding the immutability of responsibility of Labour Party structures to choose its leaders,” Ifoh clarified.

He pointed out that the judgment also did not negate the Appeal Court ruling in Labour Party vs Ebiseni and others, which reaffirmed Abure’s leadership as valid and subsisting.

“The judgment is still valid and subsisting and has not been appealed,” Ifoh stated. He also underscored that Abure remains the Labour Party National Chairman and that the party’s constitution outlines who has the authority to call national conventions and meetings.

LP’s National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Edun, further clarified that the Court’s statement did not imply Abure’s tenure had expired. He explained that the judgment only discussed the general principles of political party leadership, emphasizing that once a term ends, the official can either step down or seek re-election. Edun refuted the claim that the Court had called for a caretaker committee, stating that the Labour Party constitution does not recognize such committees.

Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, also dismissed critics of Abure’s leadership, emphasizing that the party’s constitution does not allow for caretaker committees. He vowed that Abure would remain in office until his tenure ended in 2028, mocking those who spread false reports about his removal.

Meanwhile, the Acting National Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, has hailed the judgment of the Supreme Court.

“We always know a day like this will come. We have done everything to give Abure a soft landing for him to leave the party leadership quietly in vain.

“But with this judgement, he has no choice than to leave,” he told The PUNCH.

On how the NLC will handle the affairs of the party when Abure steps down, Ndubuaku said some members who were permanent members on the board of the LP would set up a caretaker panel.

Also reacting, the National Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party, supported by figures like former presidential candidate Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti, welcomed the Supreme Court ruling as a victory for the rule of law.

The committee’s chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the judgment as a significant step forward for Nigerian democracy. She called for unity within the party, urging members to focus on advancing the Labour Party’s mission of creating a just, equitable, and people-centered Nigeria.

“The Labour Party remains one indivisible family, steadfast in its mission to create a New Nigeria founded on justice, equity, and people-centred governance,” Usman said, encouraging party members to stay committed to democratic principles during the transition.