The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated its rejection of the leadership of Julius Abure within the Labour Party (LP), asserting that a recent Abuja Federal High Court ruling endorsing him will not compel their recognition of his chairmanship.
On October 9, Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must acknowledge Abure’s National Working Committee (NWC). He also validated the March 27 national convention in Nnewi that reinstated Abure and other executives.
However, Theophilus Ndubuaku, acting chairman of the NLC Political Commission, released a statement on Thursday condemning the ruling as a serious miscarriage of justice, noting that both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were not included in the court proceedings, despite being constitutionally recognized bodies within the party.
Ndubuaku described the judgement as a “desperate” attempt by Abure and his associates to undermine the party ahead of the upcoming elections. He accused them of exploiting the judiciary to legitimize what he termed “the expired leadership” of Abure, suggesting that the rulings were misleading and ignored the Labour Party’s constitutional provisions and prior court decisions.
He emphasized that the NLC’s stance is grounded in both legal and moral reasoning, expressing concern that key stakeholders were excluded from the legal process initiated by Abure.
Furthermore, Ndubuaku highlighted that Abure had failed to comply with a previous agreement regarding party leadership changes, reached in April 2022 with the NWC and the party’s Board of Trustees, and monitored by INEC. He reiterated that following this agreement, an Interim Caretaker Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman was appointed to guide the party.
The NLC Political Commission is backing the Interim National Caretaker Committee’s plans to appeal the recent court rulings. They urged INEC to maintain the legal principle of “status quo ante bellum,” thereby continuing to disregard Abure’s claims while recognizing the Interim Committee.
Ndubuaku warned that failing to uphold the authority of the Interim Caretaker Committee could enable rival political factions to exploit perceived turmoil within the Labour Party, potentially sidelining it in the lead-up to the 2027 elections and upcoming by-elections.
He called on Labour Party members to remain steadfast, stating that Abure and his associates serve interests contrary to the party’s values. The NLC firmly believes that no number of court rulings can impose Abure on the party’s members, asserting that democracy and the people’s will will ultimately prevail against tyranny.
