•Julius Abure
Embattled Labour Party(LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure, has reasserted his leadership of the party despite recent interpretations of the Supreme Court judgment that cast doubts on his continued hold on the office.
At a press conference in Abuja addressed by the party’s former National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, he presented a detailed reinterpretation of the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court decision, claiming the judgment does not nullify the March 27, 2024, National Convention that reaffirmed Abure’s position, reports The Guardian.
Obiora Ifoh, speaking on behalf of the Abure-led faction, stated that “the judgment is being misrepresented by political opportunists and disgruntled elements within the party who are desperate to sow confusion and discredit a legitimate convention.”
According to Ifoh, the Supreme Court did not invalidate the decisions taken at the Nnewi convention nor did it dethrone Abure. Rather, the court upheld the principle that internal party affairs, particularly conventions and leadership elections conducted in accordance with the party constitution, remain outside the jurisdiction of the judiciary.
“The court merely reiterated that it cannot intervene in intra-party matters, and that includes validating or invalidating the leadership elected at our convention,” Ifoh asserted. “Julius Abure remains the National Chairman, duly elected and recognized by both INEC and the party’s highest decision-making organs.”
He added that all necessary statutory notices were served to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and that the Commission continues to correspond officially with Abure and the National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk.
The press conference also emphasised that the leadership of the Labour Party was extended by the National Executive Council in April 2023 to allow for post-election litigations, making the March 2024 convention both timely and valid.
While other factions within the party have argued that the court’s silence on the leadership question suggests a vacuum, Ifoh dismissed such interpretations as “deliberate misinformation aimed at hijacking the party through the backdoor.”
As the internal rift deepens, party elders and political observers are calling for reconciliation and a return to unified leadership ahead of crucial off-cycle elections in the country.
