Labour Party Crisis: Peter Obi, Otti Lose as Court Declares Abure Chairman

The court affirms Julius Abure as the rightful Labour Party chairman, dealing a setback to Peter Obi and Alex Otti. Read about the implications of the ruling.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Julius Abure as the rightful Chairman of the Labour Party.

This decision, announced on Tuesday, follows months of internal strife within the party and confirms the leadership established at the Nnewi convention in March 2024.

The decision represents a major win for Abure’s faction, which has been involved in a leadership conflict since the 2023 general elections.

Tensions escalated within the party following allegations of betrayal directed at its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. These accusations were made by members associated with Abure.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declined to recognize Abure’s leadership, asserting that the March 2024 National Convention, which re-elected him, was in violation of both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.

INEC, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Tanko Inuwa representing them in court, contended that the Labour Party did not fulfill the legal prerequisites for conducting its national convention. As a result, INEC asserted that the party’s leadership is invalid and emphasized that it only recognizes parties whose leadership is legitimate and adheres to constitutional guidelines.

Despite these assertions, the Federal High Court rejected INEC’s objections and acknowledged Abure as the legitimate leader of the Labour Party. Prior to this decision, Obiora Ifoh, spokesperson for Abure’s faction, had criticized advocates for his removal by implying that numerous individuals lacked the financial means to engage in the nomination process for the 2023 elections.

The Labour Party’s internal conflicts hit a crisis level in May 2023 when the Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an injunction barring Abure, National Secretary Farouk Ibrahim, and other national officers from presenting themselves as party leaders.

The crisis intensified following the suspension of Abure by the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party, further complicating the party’s leadership struggles.

As the dust starts to settle after the court’s ruling, the Labour Party will probably aim to stabilize its internal structure in anticipation of future political activities. Nonetheless, healing from the leadership conflict may take time as the party strives to restore unity.