April 21, (THEWILL) — Julius Abure has suffered another legal setback as the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed his appeal and affirmed the legitimacy of the Labour Party (LP) caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel, the appellate court upheld the January 21 decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which recognised the 29-member caretaker committee headed by Senator Usman as the lawful leadership of the party.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, with Justices Abba Mohammed and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike concurring, held that the leadership dispute had already been conclusively settled by the Supreme Court, which nullified the convention that purportedly returned Abure as National Chairman.
The appellate court agreed with the findings of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, who had relied on the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 judgment declaring that Abure’s tenure had expired.
The lower court had consequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Senator Usman and members of her committee as the legitimate leadership of the party.
Upholding that order, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court acted within its constitutional powers under Section 251 of the Constitution to compel a federal agency to perform its statutory duties.
It further endorsed the application of the doctrine of necessity in constituting the caretaker committee, noting that it was required to fill a leadership vacuum within the party.
The court dismissed Abure’s allegation that he was denied fair hearing, describing the claim as baseless.
It also faulted his conduct in pursuing parallel litigation, noting that he approached the Nasarawa State High Court on issues already determined by the Supreme Court, an action it described as forum shopping and an abuse of court process.
The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026, was accordingly held to be devoid of merit.
“On the whole, I agree with the decision and conclusion of the trial court as the same, being in accordance with the Constitution,” Justice Oyewumi held, adding that the appellate court found no reason to disturb the lower court’s judgment.
The court subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded N10 million in costs against Abure for wasting judicial time on a matter already settled by the apex court.
It also affirmed that Senator Usman had the legal standing to institute the suit and that the Federal High Court possessed the requisite jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.
The ruling represents the latest judicial pronouncement in the protracted leadership dispute within the Labour Party, reinforcing earlier decisions that recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the party’s lawful leadership while rejecting continued claims by Abure.
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