Labour Party Caretaker Committee Takes Leadership Dispute to Supreme Court
The ongoing leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has taken a new turn as the 29-man caretaker committee, led by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, announced its decision to approach the Supreme Court. This legal move follows a recent Court of Appeal judgment that upheld Julius Abure’s position as the legitimate National Chairman of the party.
In a statement issued on Sunday, signed by the committee’s National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, and National Secretary, Darlington Nwokocha, the caretaker committee expressed dissatisfaction with the appellate court’s ruling. The committee contested the decision of the Court of Appeal, which validated the LP’s March 2024 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, and reaffirmed Abure’s leadership.
The caretaker committee argued that the appeal court’s ruling raised important legal issues that could only be clarified by the Supreme Court. “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 statement read.
Seeking Clarification on Legal Ambiguities
The committee pointed out that the appellate court’s decisions on November 13, 2024, and January 17, 2025, presented ambiguities that needed the Supreme Court’s interpretation. It called on its supporters to remain patient as the legal process continued.
Senator Usman emphasized the committee’s resolve to ensure that the leadership dispute within the party would be settled definitively. “We have instructed our lawyer accordingly,” Usman said, outlining the committee’s plans to seek clarification at the highest judicial level.
The Court of Appeal’s recent judgment, which affirmed Abure’s leadership, had a three-member panel led by Justice Hamma Barka. The panel upheld the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Abure’s leadership and grant the party all rights and privileges accorded to a duly registered political party.
Caretaker Committee Formed Amid Leadership Crisis
This leadership battle within the Labour Party began when the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party moved to remove Abure from his position as National Chairman. In response to the crisis, the party formed a 29-member caretaker committee to fill the leadership vacuum. The committee was chaired by former minister Nenadi Usman, with Darlington Nwokocha serving as Secretary.
The caretaker committee’s formation followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party, which was hosted in Umuahia by Governor Otti and chaired by Peter Obi. Despite the Court of Appeal ruling, the committee remains determined to pursue the matter through the judicial process, with the Supreme Court now set to weigh in on the dispute.
The unfolding legal battle marks a pivotal moment in the Labour Party’s internal dynamics and its future direction, as the party seeks to resolve the leadership conflict that has gripped its ranks.
