The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment delivered by a three – member panel of Justices, dismissed the appeal filed by Barrister Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party (LP)
It will be recalled that on 21st January 2026, Hon. Justice Peter O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, reaffirmed the earlier judgement of the Supreme Court in Suit No. SC/CV/56/ 2025 delivered on 4th Apri, 2025 that removed Barr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) 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, Barr. Abure approached the Court of Appeal in suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026 – Barr. Julius Abure & Anor v. Sen. 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, on 4th April 2025, conclusively settled the leadership dispute within the Labour Party (LP) when it nullified the convention that purportedly returned Barr. Abure as National Chairman.
The appeal court agreed with the trial court that the court below had the powers under Section 251 of the Constitution to compel a statutory Federal Government agency to perform its functions when it ordered the INEC to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman as the national chairman of the Labour Party.
The Appeal Court also 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 seemed to be a vacuum in the party.
The Justices strongly criticised Barr. Abure for abuse of court process and for going on forum shopping in a Nasarawa State High Court 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.
The Court further held that the appeal was devoid of merit and constituted an abuse of court process.
Consequently, the Court, while dismissing the appeal by Barr. Abure, imposed a cost of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000) against him for wasting judicial time on a matter that had already been conclusively determined.
Abure has however rejected the court ruling and headed to the Supreme Court for the final determination of the case.
