The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives has welcomed today’s Supreme Court’s judgment, which removed Julius Abure from his position as national chairman of the party.
According to the lawmakers, the ruling serves as a warning to leaders who play ‘god’ in a democracy, where the people ought to hold the ultimate authority.
The leader of the caucus, Afam Victor Ogene, in a statement shortly after the Supreme Court pronouncement, described the development as a “veritable tonic for the revitalization of the party” that has been engulfed by leadership tussle in recent times.
He thanked the apex court for the decisive judgment that has offered the party a new lease of life.
The apex court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which recognized Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a unanimous judgment this Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure as the National Chairman of the LP, having earlier determined that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.
Ogene stated that, following the clear-cut judgment, the Labour Party will hasten to implement necessary mechanisms to restore internal peace and get the party back on track.
He said this is in order to reassure its teeming members, of the party’s viability for future elections and its commitment to leadership that prioritizes the interests and welfare of the people.
The lawmaker emphasized that the party’s leadership crisis could have been prevented if the ousted chairman and his team heeded the Caucus’ advice, or addressed the concerns of other stakeholders.
