In a dramatic twist that could shake the foundations of the Labour Party, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has removed Julius Abure from his position as the party’s National Chairman.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court overturned the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had recognized Abure as the party chairman. The Supreme Court held that the appellate court overreached its jurisdiction by meddling in what it described as an internal party affair—an area the constitution explicitly bars the judiciary from adjudicating.
But the court didn’t stop there. It further ruled that Abure's tenure had already run its course, effectively sealing his fate and putting an end to any lingering claims to the position.
The appeal that nailed the coffin on Abure’s chairmanship was filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman and another party member. The apex court not only upheld their appeal but also struck out a cross-appeal brought by the Abure-led faction, dismissing it as entirely lacking in merit.
With this landmark judgment, the leadership crisis in the Labour Party has taken a new dimension, and political watchers are keenly waiting to see how the embattled party will respond in the wake of this judicial thunderbolt.
More reactions and implications of the ruling are expected in the coming hours.