The Abure-led Labour Party on Tuesday reaffirmed that Julius Abure remains the party’s National Chairman, with a valid tenure running until 2028, dismissing claims to the contrary.
In a statement signed by Abure’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications, Aju Elumelu-James, the party said the clarification was necessary amid “a flurry of conflicting narratives regarding the leadership of the Labour Party, particularly the tenure of Barrister Julius Abure.”
The statement emphasized that “while the matter of party leadership is presently before the Court of Appeal, legal proceedings should not be used to distort verifiable constitutional facts.”
It traced the party’s leadership succession, noting that after the death of former National Chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam in December 2020, Deputy National Chairman Maria Lebeke was appointed acting chairman.
“She convened a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, and Barrister Julius Abure was unanimously elected on 29 March 2021 to complete the tenure of the late chairman,” the statement said.
The party added that before the expiration of this tenure in June 2023, an NEC meeting in Asaba in April 2023 extended the leadership by one year. A National Convention held on 27 March 2024 in Nnewi then elected the current leadership, setting Abure’s tenure to run until 2028.
“It is fallacious, misleading, and mischievous to suggest that Barrister Julius Abure’s tenure has expired,” the statement said.
The party also clarified the Supreme Court’s role, stating that the Court “did not rule on party leadership or the validity of the Nnewi convention. It merely held that matters concerning the leadership of a political party are internal affairs and beyond judicial jurisdiction.”
The Abure-led faction urged members and the public to “rely on verifiable constitutional facts and disregard misinformation,” noting that only the party’s recognised organs, the National Working Committee, National Executive Council, and National Convention have authority over leadership matters.
The statement comes amid ongoing tensions in the party following a January Federal High Court ruling that sacked Abure and recognised a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman, and last week’s allegations by the Usman-led NWC of an attempted invasion of the party secretariat by Abure’s supporters.
