The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Tuesday expressed his willingness to reconcile with aggrieved members and party stakeholders, appealing to the 2023 LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to help mediate and unify the party.
Abure’s plea came just a few hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja declared the contentious national convention, which reaffirmed his leadership and that of the National Working Committee, as valid.
The court’s ruling also mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Abure as the legitimate leader of the party.
The court upheld the legality of the March Nnewi convention, describing it as constitutional and in line with the country’s legal framework.
In response to the ruling, Abure released a statement titled, “A New Dawn for Labour Party: Victory, Forgiveness, and Unity,” in which he called for unity and offered an olive branch to those who had opposed his leadership.
“This victory is not just mine, but a victory for justice and democracy. It confirms that the rule of law prevails and that our party’s leadership remains legitimate. Now that the court has spoken, I offer my forgiveness to those who attempted to undermine our party and engaged in character assassination and blackmail, especially of my person,” Abure stated.
He continued, “Forgiveness must be accompanied by repentance and restitution. It is my sincere hope that those involved in these actions will reflect on their mistakes, come forward with a repentant heart, and reconcile themselves with the party.
“Be that as it may, I call on Peter Obi, our former presidential candidate, to help unite the party. I assure you that our doors are open to all. In the coming days, we will focus on rebuilding our structures, reconnecting with grassroots, and uniting members. We will heal old wounds and emerge stronger than ever before.”
The decision comes amidst internal tensions within the Labour Party.
Abure has been at odds with party bigwigs and stakeholders who opposed his re-election, arguing that the Nnewi convention that returned him to office was neither expansive nor inclusive enough.
In July, Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, and several party stakeholders established a 29-man caretaker committee, chaired by former minister Nenadi Usman, to temporarily oversee the party’s affairs and conduct a broader election to form new executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels.
However, Justice Emeka Nwite, in his ruling on Tuesday, issued an order compelling INEC to validate and recognise the Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party.
“The plaintiff has proved his case, and I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded to a political party duly registered in Nigeria,” the judge held.
While ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Abure as the legitimate chair of the party, Justice Nwite said “I am of the view and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendant’s attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails.
“The plaintiff has proved his case. I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria.”
INEC had earlier invalidated Abure’s leadership, saying the national convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act.
The electoral body said the party failed to meet legal requirements for holding the convention, insisting that Abure’s tenure as LP national chair expired in June 2024.
BACKGROUND
In February, Oluchi Oparah, national treasurer of the party, accused Abure of misappropriating N3.5 billion.
Abure refuted the claim and threatened to sue Oparah.
Members of the party, however, began demanding for Abure’s removal.
In April 2023, the FCT high court issued an order restraining Abure from parading himself as the national chair of the LP.
While ruling on an ex parte application, Hamza Muazu, the presiding judge, also restrained Farouk Ibrahim, national secretary; Clement Ojukwu, national organising secretary; and Oluchi Opara, treasurer; from parading themselves as national officers of the party.
On September 4, Nenadi Usman, a former senator representing Kaduna south, was appointed to chair a 29-member caretaker committee after Alex Otti, governor of Abia, convened a stakeholders meeting of the party in Umuahia.
Peter Obi, LP’s presidential candidate in 2023, and Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate, were among the top party members that attended the meeting.
