Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly, has called on Julius Abure to step down as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the party’s leadership crisis. Umeh, a guest on Channels Television’s Politic Today on Thursday, stated that the Supreme Court judgment had effectively closed the door on Abure’s leadership of the party, urging him to heed the advice of the apex court.
“The door has been shut on him (Abure), and the only thing left for him is to reflect on the admonishment given to him by the Supreme Court, which advised that party officers should be humble enough to vacate office once their tenure expires,” Umeh remarked during the programme.
Umeh further emphasized that Abure’s tenure had already ended, and his refusal to adhere to a Federal High Court ruling had led to his continued leadership despite breaches of the court’s consent judgment. “His tenure has expired, and he is in breach of an agreement which became a consent judgment of the Federal High Court that he should carry out certain tasks, but he has refused to do them. Since then, Abure has not held any congress anywhere,” Umeh stated.
The Senator also suggested that Abure consider joining the process led by Senator Nenadi Usman’s National Caretaker Committee, should he wish to continue in a leadership role within the party. He pointed out that Abure could not appoint himself as the chairman but must go through the proper channels for reelection if the party members still wanted him to lead. “If he thinks the party people love him and want him to continue as chairman, he should take the olive branch from Senator Nenadi Usman’s National Caretaker Committee and participate in the process,” Umeh advised.
Drawing from his extensive experience as the former chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Umeh expressed disappointment that his earlier counsel to Abure had been disregarded. He noted that he had seen the situation unfold and had warned Abure, but was dismissed by the embattled LP leader.
The leadership dispute within the Labour Party has been ongoing, with Abure’s faction at odds with members of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, headed by Senator Nenadi Usman. The committee was formed by prominent LP figures including the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Governor Alex Otti.
Last week, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court delivered a unanimous judgment, ruling that the Court of Appeal had overstepped its jurisdiction by declaring Abure as the party’s National Chairman. The court found that the leadership issue was an internal matter for the party, one over which the judiciary had no authority. Furthermore, the court upheld the appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and another party member, dismissing the cross-appeal from Abure’s faction as unmeritorious.
With the court’s decision now final, the leadership of the Labour Party remains in question, and Abure’s next steps will likely define the future direction of the party.
