Judgement Sacking Abure is Victory for Democracy, Rule of Law, Says Labour Party

• Affected faction to appeal ruling

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Labour Party (LP) said it received with joy and relief the judgement of the Federal High Court, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise Senator Nenadi Usman’s leadership as the only valid, authentic, and legitimate leadership of the party.

LP stated that the judgement was a victory for democracy, the party, and the Nigerian people, and not a personal victory for Usman or any individual in the party.

The party stated, “Although the journey to this point was protracted, difficult, and at times turbulent, the Labour Party urges its members and supporters not to celebrate with triumphalism.

“Rather, this moment should be embraced as a solemn opportunity for genuine reconciliation. For us, it is a no victor, no vanquished moment.

“Let it be clearly stated: there is only one united and indivisible Labour Party in Nigeria. This judgement must mark a new beginning anchored on unity, healing, and collective progress.’’

LP called on all members, who might feel aggrieved by the current state of affairs, including those against whom the judgement was delivered, to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue in the supreme interest of the party.

The party offered an olive branch to all contending tendencies within its fold.

It said, ‘’We sue for peace, plead for dialogue, and seek sincere reconciliation. There is enormous work ahead in rebuilding the Labour Party into a strong, credible, and virile opposition platform in Nigeria, a task that can only be accomplished in an atmosphere of unity, cohesion, and mutual respect.

“In furtherance of this commitment to peace and reconciliation, the party shall immediately constitute a Truce and Reconciliation Committee mandated to engage all aggrieved members and restore lasting harmony within the party.”

Meanwhile, the Julius Abure group said it would appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court, which gave recognition to the Usman Caretaker Committee.

It said in the judgement delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court misinterpreted the April 4, 2025 verdict of the Supreme Court to declare Usman the caretaker chairman of the party, an office alien to the LP constitution.

In a statement in Abuja by its spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, the group claimed that the judgement was a clear contradiction of the Supreme Court judgement, which stated that no court had the power to appoint leadership for any political party and that leadership issues were internal affairs of political parties.

It said it would appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal.

The statement said, “Although we are yet to see the Certified True Copy of the judgment in order to fully make comment about it, our position will become stronger when we see the CTC of the judgement. But generally, from the brief we have gotten so far, it is clear that the party will appeal the judgement.

“Before today’s judgement, we have been suspecting that it may go this way because of the body language around the court. When the matter was first filed, it was assigned to Justice Omotosho and suddenly, there was a summersault, as another matter was filed which was impari material and the one sent to Omotosho was withdrawn and now sent to Justice Peter Lifu. That was a red flag for us.

“Secondly, the court refused us the opportunity to respond to issues raised in the counter affidavit filed by other parties and quickly adjourned for judgement. That was the second red flag.

“Our adversaries were all over the places, jubilating weeks before, over a judgement that has not been delivered, telling everyone that they have already won. The jubilation by our adversaries was all over the social media, that come today the judiciary will hand over the party to Dr. Alex Otti.”

The Abure group said, “Now coming to look at the judgement itself, Nigerians should remember that the Court of Appeal pronounced Julius Abure’s National Working Committee as the authentic leadership of the party. 

“That pronouncement was what Nenadi Usman took to the Supreme Court to say that the courts (Federal High Court and Appeal Court) were wrong to have pronounced somebody as the chairman of the party.

“Ironically, today, a Federal High Court has summersaulted and pronounced somebody as the Caretaker National Chairman of a party. So what is the judiciary turning into?

“To us, that was a clear contradiction against what the Supreme Court said. Secondly, the Supreme Court said that all matters that have to do with the leadership of the political party are internal affairs of the party and that has been the position of the Supreme Court.”