In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), overturning the decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja that had recognized Abure as the chairman.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel, the Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to declare Abure as the party’s chairman, emphasizing that the internal leadership of a political party falls outside the judiciary’s jurisdiction. The court stated that such matters are not justiciable and cannot be adjudicated by the courts.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal filed by Sen. Esther Nenadi Usman and another party member, affirming that their appeal was meritorious. Additionally, the court observed that Abure’s tenure as LP chairman had already expired, as evidenced by the presented evidence, which led to the dismissal of the cross-appeal filed by Abure’s faction. This decision marks a significant development in the Labour Party’s leadership crisis.
