Julius Abure is still the National Chairman of the Labour Party, according to the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, a three-member panel of the appeal court ruled that its November 13, 2024, ruling, which acknowledged Abure as national chairman, remains in effect and has not been overturned by any court.
Barka made the statement on Friday while rendering a decision in two distinct appeals that were submitted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, the caretaker committee, and Senator Esther Nenadi Usman.
In the two distinct appeals, the appellate court ruled that it refrained from delving into the Labour Party leadership dispute because it is not a justiciable matter.
The appellate court holds that any action taken outside of its jurisdiction is null and void. Because it was given without jurisdiction, the Federal High Court’s October 8, 2024, ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite is therefore null and void.
Because the lower court lacked jurisdiction to consider the claim in the first place, Barka said, “we cannot say this appeal fails or succeeds.”
He ruled that the appeal court had relied on its earlier ruling from November 13 of last year to find that “Abure Remains National Chairman of the Labour Party” when dismissing the claim for lack of jurisdiction.