Labour Party Crisis: Caretaker Committee drags Abure, party to S’Court
By Tunde Opalana
The National Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party (LP) has rejected the verdict of an Appeal Court affirming Mr. Julius Abure as national chairman of the party.
The appeal court judgement affirmed the ruling earlier by a Federal High Court that Abure remains LP national chairman.
Both the National Caretaker Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appealed the ruling of the high court on Abure’s status after the Caretaker Committee was inaugurated.
Reacting to the appellate court ruling, the National Caretaker Committee has decided to challenge the ruling at the
Supreme Court.
Sen. Nenadi Usman, National Caretaker Committee Chairman and Sen. Darlington Nwokocha on Sunday in a jointly signed statement insisted on
seeking further clarification from the Supreme Court on the leadership dispute in the party.
The statement read “the November 13, 2024, and January 17, 2025 rulings of the Court of Appeal have brought up issues that only the Supreme Court can clarify, and the Caretaker Committee has instructed their lawyer accordingly.
“As the duly recognized National Caretaker Committee Chairman and Secretary of the Labour Party, we, on behalf of ourselves and other members of the National Caretaker Committee, deem it necessary to issue this Press Release to clarify and set the records straight.
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“Firstly, today, 17th January 2025, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Abuja Division, in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1217/2024; SEN. NENADI ESTHER USMAN & ANOR v. LABOUR PARTY & ANOR, unreservedly allowed our appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, delivered on 8th October 2024 by Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite.
“In its judgment delivered today, the Court of Appeal upheld the following:
Lack of Jurisdiction: The Court of Appeal affirmed that Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, filed before the Federal High Court by Barr. Julius Abure was a leadership dispute over which the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction.
“Error by the Federal High Court: The Federal High Court erred and acted without jurisdiction by entertaining the leadership dispute brought before it by Barr. Julius Abure.
“Violation of Fair Hearing: The Federal High Court violated our right to a fair hearing by failing to consider our Counter-Affidavit filed in opposition to the suit before it.
“Accordingly, the Court of Appeal struck out the suit filed before the Federal High Court for lack of jurisdiction.
“It is important to address the erroneous and unsolicited finding by the Court of Appeal that, in a judgment, it delivered on 13th November 2024 in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024; LABOUR PARTY v. OLUSOLA EBISENI & ORS, Julius Abure was “admitted as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.” This finding is completely inconsistent with the substantive judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal.
“For clarity, the judgment delivered on 13th November 2024 in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 pertains to the nomination of a Governorship Candidate for the Ondo State Governorship Election. It has no connection whatsoever to the leadership dispute, which was the crux of the instant suit.
“Furthermore, we reiterate the established legal principle in Nigeria that courts lack jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of political parties, including leadership and management issues. Therefore, we commend the Court of Appeal for upholding the position that the leadership dispute in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024 is non-justiciable and outside the court’s jurisdiction.
“Finally, we wish to remind the public that on 4th September 2024, the Labour Party constituted a National Caretaker Committee, appointing the undersigned, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman, as the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the National Caretaker Committee Secretary. Both have been diligently and effectively carrying out their duties to the admiration of stakeholders and the entire membership of the party.”
The Caretaker Committee, however, instructed their supporters across the country to be patient pending the determine of the fresh appeal by the Supreme Court.
Recall that on 4th September 2024 critical stakeholders of the party comprising its 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the Sole Governor elected on the party platform in Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti and other elected and critical stakeholders across the country met in Umuahia, the Abia state capital and constituted the body to plan an all-inclusive National Convention for the party before the Barr Julius Abure led team went to the court.
