Abure’s tenure is over — caretaker committee now leads Labour Party, Says Victor Umeh

The Senator representing Anambra central, Victor Umesh, has stated that the supreme court has ended Julius Abure’s tenure as national chairman of the Labour Party, restoring the party to the position originally taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise News on Wednesday night, Umeh said INEC had earlier stopped recognising Abure and party officials elected with him, having determined that their tenure had expired.
“Before this matter went to court, you have to understand that INEC had taken a position on the leadership of Labour Party had expired and ceased to deal with them as officers of the Labour Party,” he said.

“They started recognising Julius Abure as national chairman, with his team based on court order and those court orders, the trial court and the court of appeal have been set aside. So, the orders directing INEC to recognise Abure as national chairman of Labour Party have been set aside by the Supreme Court.

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“What it means is that we have now been returned to the position where INEC rightly determined as the monitor and regulator of political parties that their tenure has ceased to exist and the party has taken some steps to fill the vacuum.

“If you read the concluding pages of this judgement, you will see where the Supreme Court summarised their findings on the appeal by saying that the order made by the two courts below directing that Julius Abure should be recognised as the national chairman of Labour Party is hereby set aside. It means that he should no longer be recognised as the chairman of Labour Party

Umeh noted that before the matter reached the apex court, Abure had secured favourable judgments from the lower courts, which temporarily reinstated his position.

“Prior to the matter coming to the Supreme Court, Abure was recognised as national chairman of the Labour Party by the orders made by the two courts below. Before then, he was not recognised as the chairman because his tenure had expired. He went to court and the court found in his favour, the trial court and the court of appeal,” Umeh said
“On further appeal by Nenadi Usman and the secretary on behalf of the national caretaker committee, the supreme court set aside the order made in his favour. He filed a cross appeal, the supreme court dismissed his cross appeal.”

He questioned those insisting that the status quo remains unchanged.

“How can you now come and begin to say the state of affairs still remain the same? We have filled the vacuum by creating the national caretaker committee because we are human beings. Nature abhors vacuum,” he said.

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On Wednesday, the Usman-led LP faction held its national executive council (NEC) meeting at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

In attendance were key figures within the party, including Peter Obi, LP’s 2023 presidential candidate; Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate; and Alex Otti, the Abia state governor

meh

The Senator representing Anambra central, Victor Umesh, has stated that the supreme court has ended Julius Abure’s tenure as national chairman of the Labour Party, restoring the party to the position originally taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise News on Wednesday night, Umeh said INEC had earlier stopped recognising Abure and party officials elected with him, having determined that their tenure had expired.
“Before this matter went to court, you have to understand that INEC had taken a position on the leadership of Labour Party had expired and ceased to deal with them as officers of the Labour Party,” he said.

“They started recognising Julius Abure as national chairman, with his team based on court order and those court orders, the trial court and the court of appeal have been set aside. So, the orders directing INEC to recognise Abure as national chairman of Labour Party have been set aside by the Supreme Court.

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“What it means is that we have now been returned to the position where INEC rightly determined as the monitor and regulator of political parties that their tenure has ceased to exist and the party has taken some steps to fill the vacuum.

“If you read the concluding pages of this judgement, you will see where the Supreme Court summarised their findings on the appeal by saying that the order made by the two courts below directing that Julius Abure should be recognised as the national chairman of Labour Party is hereby set aside. It means that he should no longer be recognised as the chairman of Labour Party

Umeh noted that before the matter reached the apex court, Abure had secured favourable judgments from the lower courts, which temporarily reinstated his position.

“Prior to the matter coming to the Supreme Court, Abure was recognised as national chairman of the Labour Party by the orders made by the two courts below. Before then, he was not recognised as the chairman because his tenure had expired. He went to court and the court found in his favour, the trial court and the court of appeal,” Umeh said
“On further appeal by Nenadi Usman and the secretary on behalf of the national caretaker committee, the supreme court set aside the order made in his favour. He filed a cross appeal, the supreme court dismissed his cross appeal.”

He questioned those insisting that the status quo remains unchanged.

“How can you now come and begin to say the state of affairs still remain the same? We have filled the vacuum by creating the national caretaker committee because we are human beings. Nature abhors vacuum,” he said.

Advertisement

On Wednesday, the Usman-led LP faction held its national executive council (NEC) meeting at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

In attendance were key figures within the party, including Peter Obi, LP’s 2023 presidential candidate; Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate; and Alex Otti, the Abia state governor