The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), setting aside an earlier ruling which restrained him from parading as a national officer of the party.
The court also set aside the decision of Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court of last year which restrained Abure and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.
In the judgement delivered by Justice Hamma Barka on Wednesday, the Appellate Court held that the high court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction on the matter.
The Appellate Court also awarded a cost of One million Naira in favour of Abure and against the respondent, Lamidi Apapa.
Justice Muazu last year, granted an ex-parte order in which it ordered Abure and two other national officers to stop parading themselves as leaders of the party after allegedly forging national documents. The Appellate Court however set the verdict aside.
After the 2023 presidential poll in which LP’s flagbearer Peter Obi came third, Abure has been in a protracted legal conflict with Apapa who laid claim to the party’s chairmanship.
On February 21, 2024, Abure was arrested in Benin City, the Edo State capital, with viral videos showing him being manhandled by policemen, even as LP supporters fought to prevent his arrest.
The police said Abure was arrested for attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and related offences but later released him on bail the following day after protests by LP members.
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