The Labour Party in Nigeria is facing a leadership crisis over its ongoing tussle for control, which escalated when the Court of Appeal in Abuja invalidated the off-season governorship primary elections conducted by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure. The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize and publish the names of all the governorship candidates in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states as produced by the Lamidi Apapa-led National Working Committee.
The court also dismissed the candidature of Senator Athan Achonu in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo State.
Apapa, the factional leader backed by the court ruling, stated that the court had reaffirmed that Abure was not the legitimate party chairman when the primaries were conducted. He also mentioned that the Federal High Court order restraining Abure from parading himself as the LP chairman had not been vacated.
Abure, however, refuted the court’s decision, stating that the news was “fake.” He emphasized that the court’s ruling neither supported his faction nor the opposing faction led by Apapa. Additionally, the LP National Secretary, Umar Farouk, stated that there was no mention of Abure in the court’s ruling.
This situation reflects the ongoing internal struggles within Nigerian political parties and the legal disputes that often arise from such conflicts. The conflicting interpretations of court rulings further complicate the matter, highlighting the need for clear and unambiguous legal decisions.