Supreme Court Upholds Julius Abure as Labour Party National Chairman, Says Abure-Led Faction
Abuja, 4 April 2025 – The Supreme Court of Nigeria today, 4 April 2025, delivered a judgement reaffirming Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, according to a statement from a faction of the party led by Abure. The ruling, celebrated by this faction as a triumph for its leadership, declared that the selection of party leaders is an internal matter outside the courts’ jurisdiction.
The apex court’s decision addressed several legal challenges, including an appeal by Senator Nenadi Usman at the Court of Appeal and a Labour Party suit at a trial court. The Supreme Court ruled that lower courts overstepped by intervening in what it described as “purely an internal affair” of the party. It struck down Usman’s appeal and upheld prior High Court and Appeal Court rulings supporting Abure’s leadership, notably the Appeal Court judgement of 13 November 2024 in Labour Party vs Ebiseni and 2 others (CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024), which remains uncontested.
In a statement signed by Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Abure-led faction, the group asserted that the Supreme Court’s ruling did not remove Abure but rather cemented his position as chairman. “The implication is very clear. Barrister Julius Abure remains Labour Party National Chairman,” the statement declared. It highlighted that the National Working Committee (NWC) under Abure’s leadership, elected at a National Convention on 27 March 2024 and recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is the legitimate authority within the party.
The Abure-led faction praised the Supreme Court’s decision as a vindication of its internal processes for leadership selection. “It is only the political parties that have the powers to choose its leaders, not the courts,” Ifoh stated, calling on members loyal to their faction to respect the party’s constitution and avoid seeking judicial remedies for internal disputes.
The ruling comes amid ongoing divisions within the Labour Party, with Abure’s faction positioning itself as the rightful leadership. The statement urged unity among its supporters, asserting that the NWC under Abure remains the duly elected body to steer the party forward.
