Now that the Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party, can he move on with his life or accept to be used by the enemies of democracy to act as agent destabilisation?
The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel of Justices, affirmed the earlier decision of the lower court.
On January 21, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, reaffirmed the earlier judgment of the Supreme Court that removed Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman as the legitimate leader of the party, to the exclusion of all others.
Dissatisfied with that decision, Abure approached the Court of Appeal in suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026 – Barr. Julius Abure & Anor v. Nenadi Esther Usman & 3 Ors – seeking to overturn the judgment of the lower court.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, with Justices A. B. Mohammed and Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike concurring, the appellate court affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court.
The court held that the Supreme Court had, April 4, 2025, conclusively settled the leadership dispute within the Labour Party when it nullified the convention that purportedly returned Abure as National Chairman.
The appellate court agreed with the trial court that the constitution of the Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party, headed by Usman, was a doctrine of necessity needed to provide leadership in the party when there appeared to be a vacuum.
It strongly criticised Abure for abuse of court process and for engaging in forum shopping on a matter already decided by the Supreme Court, and for persisting in laying claim to the leadership of the party despite the clear and unambiguous pronouncement of the apex court.
It was good that the court imposed a cost of N10million against him for wasting the time of the courts on this matter.
Since he has decided to proceed to the Supreme Court, it is hoped that the apex court would impose heavy fines on him for engaging in endless litigation over a matter the apex court had decided.
