In a decisive judgment delivered on Friday, April 4, 2025, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled that Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). The ruling ends a long-standing leadership tussle within the party.
A five-member panel of justices unanimously declared that the Court of Appeal in Abuja erred in its earlier decision affirming Abure’s leadership, stating that the matter was an internal party affair outside the scope of judicial intervention.
The apex court emphasized that issues surrounding party leadership are intra-party matters and not justiciable in the courts unless there is a clear breach of the law. It highlighted that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the leadership dispute in the first place.
The court further ruled in favor of the appeal filed by Senator Esther Usman and another, declaring the appeal meritorious. It also found that Abure’s tenure had legally expired, and as such, dismissed the cross-appeal filed by his faction within the Labour Party.
