The leadership crisis in the Labour Party escalated on Tuesday as factional National Chairman, Julius Abure, rejected a Court of Appeal ruling affirming the leadership of Nenadi Usman, insisting he will challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Abure dismissed the appellate court’s judgment—which upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling recognising Usman’s leadership—describing it as inconsistent with established legal principles and party procedures.
He maintained that disputes over party leadership are internal matters that should not be subject to judicial interference, arguing that the ruling contradicts longstanding legal precedent.
“We have seen what transpired today at the Appeal Court, and we want to say very clearly that the judgment is not acceptable to all of us in the Labour Party, led by my humble self,” Abure said.
“I want to say very clearly that the judgment is against all known principles of law. The courts, including the Supreme Court, have stated clearly that the issue of leadership of a political party is an internal affair.
“It is also not true, and I disagree when people say that the tenure of this executive has expired. That is untrue and very unacceptable to us.”
Earlier on Tuesday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja unanimously dismissed Abure’s appeal, describing it as lacking merit and legal foundation, and affirmed the lower court’s decision recognising Usman’s leadership.
Abure argued that the court failed to properly consider the validity of the Labour Party’s March 27, 2024, convention in Nnewi, which he said produced a leadership with a four-year mandate.
“The court today did not take that into account before concluding that the tenure has expired,” he said. “The Umuahia meeting, which produced the caretaker committee, was also contrary to the Labour Party constitution.”
He insisted that only the party’s National Chairman and Secretary have the authority to convene a National Executive Committee meeting, adding that the faction would proceed to the Supreme Court.
“We have put our legal team together, and we are going to appeal this decision,” he said. “We reject it in its entirety.”
The ruling represents a significant setback for Abure’s faction, as a series of legal and political developments have increasingly shifted recognition toward Usman’s camp.
The crisis took a decisive turn two months ago when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formally recognised the Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the party, following a Federal High Court directive.
INEC subsequently updated its records, replacing Abure’s name with Usman’s as Acting National Chairman on its official platform, amid prolonged internal disputes and parallel leadership claims that have dogged the party since the 2023 general elections.
