BY MYKE UZENDU
There seems to be no end to the legitimacy crisis rocking the Julius Abure led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour party as the party’s Caretaker Committee said it has concluded plans to challenge last weekend’s verdict of the Appeal Court which endorsed the Nnewi convention at the Supreme Court.
You may wish to recall that some members of the party led by Abia State governor Dr. Alex Otti and the party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, at an extra ordinary stake holders meeting at Umuahia, voided the reelection of Abure and his NWC at the Nnewi convention. They further constituted a caretaker committee led by former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha to pilot the affairs of the party and set out modalities for a new convention.
Following the crisis, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stopped recognizing Abure as the party’s chairman untill a judgement from a Federal High Court judgement endorsed the Nnewi convention and ordered INEC to recognize and deal with Abure led NWC.
Furthermore, an Appeal Court in Abuja on Friday endorsed the ruling of the High Court and authenticates the regime of Abure.
Not satisfied with the ruling, the caretaker committee has indicated it’s intention to seek further clarification at the Supreme Court.
In a statement on Sunday, signed by Usman and Hon. Nwokocha, the caretaker committee said that it would seek further clarification on the Appeal Court judgement.
“The Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party is going to seek further clarification from the Supreme Court on the leadership dispute in the party” the Committee stated.
It added that the Sen. Nenadi Esther Usman, the Chairman of the Committee set up by the leadership of the party confirmed at the weekend, to clear the ambiguities in the ruling of the Appeal Court.
“The November 13, 2024, and January 17, 2025 rulings of the Court of Appeal have brought up issues that only the Supreme Court can clarify, and the Caretaker Committee has instructed their lawyer accordingly.
“The Caretaker Committee has, therefore, instructed their supporters across the country to be patient” it stated.
The group recalled that on 4th September 2024 critical stakeholders of the party comprising its 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the Sole Governor elected on the party platform in Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti and other elected and critical stakeholders across the country met in Umuahia, the Abia state capital and constituted the body to plan an all-inclusive National Convention for the party before the Barr Julius Abure led team went to the court.
Commenting om the need to seek clarification it continued, “As the duly recognized National Caretaker Committee Chairman and Secretary of the Labour Party, we, on behalf of ourselves and other members of the National Caretaker Committee, deem it necessary to issue this Press Release to clarify and set the records straight.
“Firstly, today, 17th January 2025, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Abuja Division, in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1217/2024; SEN. NENADI ESTHER USMAN & ANOR v. LABOUR PARTY & ANOR, unreservedly allowed our appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, delivered on 8th October 2024 by Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite.
“In its judgment delivered today, the Court of Appeal upheld the following:
“Lack of Jurisdiction: The Court of Appeal affirmed that Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, filed before the Federal High Court by Barr. Julius Abure was a leadership dispute over which the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction.
“Error by the Federal High Court: The Federal High Court erred and acted without jurisdiction by entertaining the leadership dispute brought before it by Barr. Julius Abure.
“Violation of Fair Hearing: The Federal High Court violated our right to a fair hearing by failing to consider our Counter-Affidavit filed in opposition to the suit before it.
“Accordingly, the Court of Appeal struck out the suit filed before the Federal High Court for lack of jurisdiction.
“It is important to address the erroneous and unsolicited finding by the Court of Appeal that, in a judgment, it delivered on 13th November 2024 in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024; LABOUR PARTY v. OLUSOLA EBISENI & ORS, Julius Abure was “admitted as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.” This finding is completely inconsistent with the substantive judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal.
“For clarity, the judgment delivered on 13th November 2024 in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 pertains to the nomination of a Governorship Candidate for the Ondo State Governorship Election. It has no connection whatsoever to the leadership dispute, which was the crux of the instant suit.
“Furthermore, we reiterate the established legal principle in Nigeria that courts lack jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of political parties, including leadership and management issues. Therefore, we commend the Court of Appeal for upholding the position that the leadership dispute in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024 is non-justiciable and outside the court’s jurisdiction.
“Finally, we wish to remind the public that on 4th September 2024, the Labour Party constituted a National Caretaker Committee, appointing the undersigned, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman, as the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the National Caretaker Committee Secretary. Both have been diligently and effectively carrying out their duties to the admiration of stakeholders and the entire membership of the party”.