Abure Rejects Appeal Court Ruling on LP Leadership, Heads to Supreme Court

The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has declared its intention to challenge the Court of Appeal judgment that affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the recognised leader of the party, stating it will immediately approach the Supreme Court.

The decision follows a dispute over an appeal that was filed without the approval of the party’s recognised national leadership.

Reacting to the judgment on Monday, the spokesman for the Abure faction, Obiora Ifoh, said that although the group was unhappy with the verdict, it would obey the court’s decision while taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

In a statement, he maintained that the faction remains confident that the apex court will rule in its favour, arguing that questions about party leadership are internal matters that should be decided within the party.

According to him, no court has set aside the Nnewi convention that produced Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman.

He also insisted that the leadership elected at the convention remains valid and will continue in office until 2028.

“The decision of the Appeal Court was unpleasant to us, but as law-abiding Nigerians, we have taken note. We are heading to the Supreme Court immediately to overturn that judgment,” the statement read.

“Labour Party under Julius Abure’s leadership is very hopeful that justice will be done in all cases before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has constantly maintained that the issue of party leadership is an internal affair of the party. Till today, no court in the land has vitiated or challenged the validity of the Nnewi convention that produced the Abure leadership.”

“The tenure of that leadership subsists until 2028, and it is only that leadership that is valid before the law. We will wait until the Supreme Court gives its verdict. And for the Nenadi group, we wish them well for now. But I can assure you that their end will be soon and swift,” the statement concluded.