The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated its website to reflect Julius Abure’s reinstatement as the Labour Party’s national chairman and Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim’s reinstatement as its National Secretary. This move follows a Supreme Court ruling that effectively nullified previous court decisions from the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had dismissed Abure’s leadership.
Abure has maintained his position despite the ruling, citing that the Supreme Court’s decision leaves his chairmanship dispute within the Labour Party as an internal matter, beyond judicial reach. However, key figures, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have upheld the legitimacy of a Caretaker Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman, suggesting that the Court’s decision effectively terminated Abure’s leadership.
Governor Otti presented an official copy of the Supreme Court’s judgment to INEC on April 9 to ensure clarity about the Labour Party’s current leadership. An INEC source clarified that Abure’s reinstatement was based on the Court’s decision, which did not address the substantive issues but focused on jurisdiction, leaving the party’s previous leadership status intact.
The Supreme Court’s ruling last March also resolved a leadership dispute in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reinstating Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary after a prolonged battle with Sunday Ude-Okoye. Like the Labour Party case, the Court ruled that the matter was an internal party issue and thus outside judicial authority.
