By Mike Odiakose

Reprieve came the way of the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday affirmed him as the National Chairman of the party.

The Labour Party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since March when Abure was elected National Chairman at a national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra state.

Following the crisis the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, last month resolved to remove Abure as the National Chairman.

To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with former finance minister, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as Chairman and Hon.

The decision was the outcome of an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party that was hosted in Umuahia by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.

The meeting where Abure was sacked from office was chaired by his former ally and candidate of the party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi.

In the Tuesday judgement that was delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, the court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to accord the LP under Abure’s leadership, all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria.

It equally ordered INEC to perform its lawful duty by conducting a refresher training for the upload of LP’s agents into the INEC portal and to issue the plaintiff (Abure) the Access Code required to access INEC’s portal for the Ondo Governorship Election scheduled to hold on 16th November 2024.

The judgement followed a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, which was brought before the court by Abure.

The INEC was listed as the sole defendant in the matter.

Specifically, Abure, in an affidavit he deposed to in support of the suit, told the court that following the death of the National Chairman of the LP, he was lawfully elected as the Acting National Chairman of the party at a National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party that held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.

He told the court that on April 18, 2023, at the NEC meeting of the party held in Asaba, Delta State and duly monitored by INEC, it was resolved that the tenures of State Chairmen whose tenures had expired, be renewed.

He said it was at the same meeting that some members who were engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements for vacant positions were created as a result of the expulsion.

Abure averred that in line with a consensus that was reached at the meeting, the party subsequently held its National Convention on March 27, 2024 in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was lawfully elected to the office of National Chairman of the LP.

He said the party under his leadership produced candidates for governorship elections in both Edo and Ondo states.

According to the plaintiff, on June 28, 2024, INEC, issued to him and 18 other National Chairmen of political parties, a Notice for Inspection of Sensitive Election Materials for the Ondo and Edo state governorship polls.

However, he decried that a later notice that INEC gave for political parties to nominate two persons from their IT unit to undertake training on how to upload data to INEC’s portal for the impending Ondo state gubernatorial election, was not served on him.

Abure told the court that he became aware of the existence of the said notice of the training by INEC, on August 21, 2024, because he is a member of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, IPAC.

Therefore, he prayed the court to intervene by compelling INEC to accord him recognition as the National Chairman of the LP.

While granting the request, Justice Nwite held that he found merit in the case of the plaintiff.

“I am of the view that 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,” Justice Nwite held.

Reacting to the judgement, Abure expressed his gratitude, calling the victory “a triumph for justice and democracy.”

“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.

 “I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the judiciary, particularly Justice Emeka Nwite, for his courage and integrity in delivering a judgment that upheld justice and resisted external pressure.

“His well-articulated judgement has restored our faith in the judiciary and given us hope for democracy in Nigeria,” the statement read.

Abure stated that he would forgive those who tried to undermine the party and participated in character assassination.

He also urged Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, to assist in uniting the party.

“I call on Peter Obi, the former Presidential candidate of our party, to help unite the party,” he wrote.