Benin City’s Court of Appeal has upheld Julius Abure’s position as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, solidifying his leadership within the political organization.
Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, officially confirmed this significant development in a statement released on Monday from Abuja.
A three-member panel at the appellate court, after careful consideration, dismissed the legal action initiated by Mr. Lucky Shaibu against Abure and three other key members of the Labour Party’s national executive committee.
Mr. Shaibu, alongside fellow members of the LP executive committee in Ward 3 of Esan North East local government area in Edo State, had earlier suspended Abure from his role as the party’s chairman in March.
In a parallel legal journey, Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, on April 5, issued an injunction restraining Abure and three other individuals from presenting themselves as national officers of the party. This ruling came in response to an application submitted by Shaibu and other concerned party members. The affected officers included Alhaji Farouk Ibrahim, LP National Secretary; Mr. Clement Ojukwu, National Organizing Secretary; and another individual.
Various plaintiffs, including individuals such as Martins Esikpali John, Isah Zekeri, and Lucky Shaibu, sought to enforce this suspension. However, Justice Muazu later granted a stay of execution on the chairman’s suspension in a subsequent ruling on May 19.
In a notable turn of events, the Edo State High Court echoed this decision in a verdict delivered on May 28, formally recognizing Julius Abure as the legitimate National Chairman of the Labour Party.
During the recent proceedings on Monday, the Court of Appeal upheld the Edo State High Court’s verdict. The appellate court emphasized the alignment with the Edo State High Court’s judgment and asserted that an individual does not possess the authority to unilaterally suspend the LP national chairman. This decision was grounded in the framework of Articles 13 and 17 of the Party’s Constitution and the prevailing Electoral Act of 2022.