𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭, 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭

Few hours after the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal and affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the legitimate leader of the Labour Party, the embattled National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, has rejected the ruling in its entirety and vowed to take his case to the Supreme Court.

In a fiery statement issued on Tuesday, Abure described the appellate court’s judgment as “unacceptable” and “against all known principles of law,” insisting that leadership disputes within a political party remain internal affairs beyond the jurisdiction of the courts.

“I want to say very clearly that the judgement is not acceptable to all of us in the Labour Party led by my humble self,” Abure declared.

The Appeal Court Ruling

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, had on Monday delivered a unanimous judgment dismissing Abure’s appeal challenging the leadership of the party .

A three-member panel led by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, with Justices A. B. Mohammed and Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike concurring, affirmed the January 2026 decision of the Federal High Court which had removed Abure as National Chairman .

The appellate court held that the Supreme Court had already conclusively settled the leadership dispute on April 4, 2025, when it nullified the convention that purportedly returned Abure as National Chairman .

The justices strongly criticised Abure for what they described as an abuse of court process and “forum shopping” — taking the same matter to a Nasarawa State High Court after the Supreme Court had already ruled .

The court consequently imposed a cost of ten million naira (N10,000,000) against Abure for wasting judicial time on a matter that had already been conclusively determined .

Abure Fires Back

But in a swift reaction, Abure rejected the ruling, insisting that the March 27, 2024 convention held in Nnewi — where he claimed he was re-elected — remains valid and subsisting for four years.

“It is also not true and I disagree when people say that the tenure of this executive has expired. That is untrue and very unacceptable to us,” Abure said.

He also dismissed the Umuahia stakeholders’ meeting — which produced the Usman-led caretaker committee — as unconstitutional, arguing that only the National Chairman and National Secretary have the power to convene any NEC meeting.

“I want to say very clearly that we are going to appeal that decision. Today’s decision of the Appeal Court is not acceptable to us and we reject it in its entirety. We have put our legal team together and we are going to file an appeal and move to the Supreme Court,” he vowed.

Usman Reacts

Senator Nenadi Usman, who leads the caretaker committee recognised by the court and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had earlier described the Appeal Court ruling as a victory for democracy and the rule of law .

She commended the judiciary for its courage and steadfastness in upholding justice despite attempts by certain elements to undermine its integrity, and thanked party members for their patience during the leadership dispute .

Background of the Crisis

The Labour Party leadership crisis dates back to 2024 when Abure’s tenure as national chairman became a subject of intense legal battles.

Following a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State — chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and hosted by Governor Alex Otti — the National Executive Committee resolved to remove Abure and constituted a 29-member caretaker committee with Senator Usman as chairperson .

The Supreme Court had on April 4, 2025, set aside a Court of Appeal judgment that recognised Abure as chairman, holding that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction over the party’s leadership dispute .

INEC subsequently withdrew its recognition of Abure, stating in a court affidavit that his tenure had expired and that it neither monitored nor recognised the controversial March 27, 2024 convention in Nnewi .

What Next?

With Abure vowing to head to the Supreme Court, the leadership tussle within the Labour Party appears far from over. However, legal observers note that the appeal court’s ruling heavily relied on the Supreme Court’s April 2025 decision, which may make a fresh appeal an uphill battle.

For now, INEC continues to recognise the Usman-led caretaker committee as the legitimate leadership of the Labour Party .

Abure, however, remains defiant, insisting that the judiciary has no business interfering in the internal affairs of a political party.

“We have seen what transpired today at the Appeal Court and we want to say very clearly that the judgement is not acceptable to all of us,” he reiterated.