Court Of Appeal Upholds Abure As LP Chairman, Dismisses Apapa’s Petition

• Fines Apapa N1 Million

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday upheld Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

The court also set aside the judgement of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, which restrained Abure and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the Labour Party.

On an ex parte application on April 5, 2023, Hamza Muazu, the Presiding Judge, restrained Abure, Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu, and Oluchi Opara from acting as national officers of the LP.

The court had also dismissed the objection raised by Abure, challenging his removal as chairman of the LP.

In the suit, which was filed by Martins Esikpali John, together with Lucky Shaibu, Isah Zekeri, Omogbai Frank, Abokhaiu Aliu, Ayohkaire Lateef, John Elomah, and Ayobami Arabambi, they accused Abure and others of forging several documents of the FCT high court to carry out unlawful substitutions in the last elections.

However, the defendants had approached the appeals court for redress of the judgement of the high court.

Delivering the lead judgement today, Justice Hamman Barka ruled that the high court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction on the matter.

He also slammed the N1 million fine in favour of the appellants.

The Herald reports the legal conflict between Abure and Apapa over the party’s chairmanship has been ongoing since the 2023 presidential election, in which LP’s Peter Obi finished third.

On March 21, 2024, Abure was apprehended in Benin City, Edo State, with viral videos capturing him being manhandled by policemen, amidst resistance from LP supporters.

The police stated that Abure was arrested on charges of attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and related offenses. Following protests by LP members, the LP chairman was released on bail the following day.