By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Julius Abure–led leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has rejected the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which recognised a Caretaker Committee headed by former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, declaring that it will immediately approach the Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling.
The party described the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu as a misinterpretation of the April 4, 2025 decision of the Supreme Court, insisting that the ruling runs contrary to settled judicial principles and the Labour Party Constitution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, signed by the factional Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, said the court erred by recognising a caretaker leadership allegedly headed by a non-registered member of the party, an action he described as alien to the party’s constitution and internal democratic processes.
According to the party, the judgment contradicts the Supreme Court’s clear position that no court has the power to appoint or impose leadership on a political party, as leadership matters remain the exclusive internal affairs of political parties.
“The judgment is a clear contradiction of the Supreme Court ruling which emphatically stated that courts lack jurisdiction to appoint leadership for any political party,” the statement said.
While noting that the party was yet to obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, Ifoh said preliminary details already made it clear that the ruling would be challenged.
“Although we are yet to see the Certified True Copy of the judgment to fully comment on it, our position is already firm. From the brief available to us, it is obvious that this judgment will be appealed,” he said.
The Labour Party further alleged procedural irregularities in the handling of the case, stating that there were early signs the judgment might go against it. Ifoh claimed that the matter was initially assigned to Justice Omotosho before it was suddenly reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu following the withdrawal and refiling of a similar case.
“That sudden reassignment was a red flag for us,” the party said.
The party also accused the court of denying it the opportunity to respond adequately to issues raised in the counter-affidavit of the opposing parties before adjourning for judgment.
In addition, the party alleged that its opponents had openly celebrated the anticipated outcome weeks before the ruling was delivered, claiming on social media that the judiciary would hand over the party’s leadership to Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
Reacting to the substance of the judgment, the Labour Party recalled that the Court of Appeal had previously recognised Julius Abure’s National Working Committee as the authentic leadership of the party, a decision that Senator Nenadi Usman challenged at the Supreme Court.
Ironically, the party noted, while the Supreme Court declined jurisdiction on the matter on grounds that it was an internal party affair, the Federal High Court has now proceeded to appoint a caretaker chairman.
“To us, this is a grave contradiction. The Supreme Court clearly stated that leadership disputes within political parties are internal affairs. Today, a Federal High Court has gone ahead to appoint a caretaker chairman. What then is the judiciary turning into?” the party queried.
The Labour Party further faulted the court’s claim that a leadership vacuum existed, insisting that the tenure of the party’s executive never expired.
“The tenure of the executive was originally to expire in June 2024, but a valid National Convention was held in March 2024, before the expiration of the tenure, which produced the current leadership,” the party stated.
It described as “laughable” the court’s conclusion that a vacuum existed without examining the legality and validity of the National Convention held on March 27, 2024.
Despite the controversy, the party urged its members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that the leadership would pursue justice through legal means.
“The Labour Party is not for sale. No amount of financial power will make us abdicate our leadership position,” the statement warned.
The party reaffirmed its confidence in the appellate courts to correct what it described as a miscarriage of justice and pledged to continue acting in the best interest of its members and supporters.
