Supreme Court Sacks Julius Abure as Labour Party Chairman, Overturns Appeal Court Ruling

The Supreme Court has nullified the Court of Appeal’s judgment that had affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

In a ruling delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court unanimously held that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the party’s leadership dispute, stating that such matters are strictly internal affairs of the party and beyond judicial intervention.

This decision effectively removes Abure as the LP’s National Chairman, deepening the party’s leadership crisis.

Earlier, in January, the Court of Appeal had ruled that Abure remained the party’s chairman, emphasizing that political party leadership matters should not be subject to judicial rulings. That judgment had overturned a previous Federal High Court decision by Justice Emeka Nwite, which had invalidated Abure’s position.

However, with this latest ruling, the Supreme Court has now set aside the appellate court’s verdict, reinforcing that internal party disputes cannot be settled through the judiciary.