The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has re-listed Mr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) on its official website, following a recent Supreme Court ruling. Also reinstated is Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, who returns as the party’s National Secretary.
According to ABN TV checks, it was noticed that the commission acted on the strength of a court order, specifically the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment, which held that the internal leadership dispute in the Labour Party was not justiciable in court.
In a similar move, INEC also restored Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s name as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), although it did not explicitly state whether this action was based on a court order.
The Supreme Court had, in separate judgments delivered earlier this year, overturned previous decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal that had sacked both Abure and Anyanwu from their respective party positions. In both instances, the apex court ruled that the lower courts lacked the jurisdiction to entertain matters deemed internal party affairs.
Despite the ruling, key figures within the Labour Party, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, had expressed support for a Caretaker Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman. They argued that the Supreme Court ruling effectively ousted Abure.
In a bid to clarify the party’s leadership status, Governor Otti visited INEC headquarters on April 9 to present the CTC of the Supreme Court judgment. According to him, the visit was intended to promote institutional alignment and mutual understanding regarding the current structure of the Labour Party.
An INEC source confirmed that the commission’s decision to reinstate Abure followed a careful review of the court’s ruling, which did not address the substantive issues but instead nullified the lower courts’ jurisdiction. This, the source said, meant the legal status reverted to the pre-litigation period.
In the PDP, the leadership battle between Senator Anyanwu and Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye — reportedly backed by some governors — was similarly settled by the Supreme Court in favor of Anyanwu, on the grounds that it was an internal party matter.
With these developments, INEC’s updated records now reflect the reinstatement of the previously embattled officials, marking a new phase in the leadership dynamics of both the Labour Party and the PDP.