In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has overturned a previous judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja that affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
Delivering a unanimous decision on Thursday, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the Court of Appeal overstepped its bounds when it waded into the internal leadership dispute of the party.
The justices held that issues surrounding the leadership structure of a political party fall strictly within its internal affairs and are not justiciable—meaning courts do not have the jurisdiction to interfere.
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The ruling follows an appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and another appellant, which the Supreme Court described as meritorious.
In contrast, a cross-appeal filed by the Abure-led faction of the party was dismissed for lacking merit.
This ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications on the internal dynamics of the Labour Party and may reshape the conversation around political party leadership disputes in Nigeria going forward.
More details to come.