Category: Politics

The YPP primary election, conducted using the Option A4 voting system, was overseen by the Chairman of the Election Committee and National Secretary of YPP, Mr. Video Bamayi. In the election, Chukwuma secured 366 ‘yes’ votes, with eight delegates voting ‘no’.

YPP National Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Amakiri, commended Chukwuma for his potential to expand the party’s reach and enhance its political prospects, stating that his candidacy would significantly boost the YPP’s political fortunes.

In his acceptance speech, Chukwuma expressed gratitude to the party and its members, emphasizing the YPP’s foundation on discipline. He assured that many more people would soon join the party to strengthen its base.

Chukwuma reaffirmed his commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in advancing the administration’s Hope Agenda. He also outlined his campaign focus on elevating Anambra State, ensuring its central role in national politics, and connecting the state to the national government to secure opportunities for its development.

Chukwuma expressed confidence in his ability to secure the Government House in Awka, with the support of the people and divine intervention. Vanguard

The meeting comes amid the controversy over the recent Supreme Court judgement on the national chairmanship position for the Labour Party.

It held on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel and was chaired by former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman.

In attendance were the 2023 LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, and the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.

Senators and members of the House of Representatives who are members of the party were also present.

Also present were governorship candidates of the party in Edo and Imo States, Olumide Akpata, and Athan Achonu.

In her opening remarks, the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman said the LP would review its governorship primaries for Anambra State and make its position known.

The primaries, which were held in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Saturday, saw a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Chief George Moughalu, emerge as the candidate of the Labour Party ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election.

It was the last primaries held by the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, days after the Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja recognising Abure as the National Chairman of the LP.

More details later

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Leader of the PDP national committee mandated to conduct the party’s governorship primary election in the State, Col. Chijioke Onwubuya (rtd), declared Ezenwafor winner in the governorship primary election held on Tuesday at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.

Ezenwafor contested for the PDP governorship ticket unopposed as he was the only aspirant who purchased the party’s nomination forms for the ticket.

A total of 853 delegates made up 839 elected from the 21 local government areas of the State and 14 national delegates were accredited to take part in the primary election.

Though Ezenwafor was the lone contestant, each delegate was issued a ballot paper to write the name of the candidate he or she preferred. The delegates cast their votes of affirmation local government area by local government area while the national delegates were the first to cast their ballots.

With the latest emergence of the PDP flag-bearer, a total of four political parties have so far nominated candidates for the Anambra State gubernatorial election.

Recall that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had earlier affirmed the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as its candidate for the contest; All Progressives Congress (APC) chose Prince Nicolas Ukachukwu; Labour Party (LP) nominated the former managing director of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Muoghalu, while the African Action Congress (AAC) has the only female candidate so far in the race, Miss Chioma Ifemuludike, as its flag-bearer.

Some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were present at venue of the governorship primaries of each of the political parties. Leadership

In a statement shared on Labour Party’s official X handle, the party also cautioned its former presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Obi not to participate in any action capable of undermining the peace, unity, and integrity of the party.

The National Executive Committee of the party presided over by Abure whom the Sen. Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee held as sacked by the Supreme Court ruling of Friday, noted that it would not hesitate to issue stiffer penalties if Obi was found culpable.

The party took the decisions during its NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday.

The full resolution reads:

RESOLUTION ADOPTED AT THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF LABOUR PARTY HELD ON MONDAY 7TH APRIL 2025 AT THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT UTAKO, ABUJA AT 11:00 AM.

The NEC meeting was attended by members of the National Working Meeting, National officers of the party, state Chairmen and Secretaries, Stakeholders of the party, and other co-opted members of the National Executive Council provided by Article 13 (A) of the Party Constitution.

At the end of the meeting, the following resolutions were approved and adopted;

1. Labour Party expresses satisfaction with the Supreme Court decision which has returned the power, glory and supremacy of political parties to the parties.

2. The court asserted the supremacy of the party over its internal affairs and that leadership of a political party is not for any court to decide as it is a no go area for the court and so the court DID NOT sack the NWC leadership.

3. Accordingly, NEC in session reaffirmed the Nnewi National Convention held on the 27th of March 2024 that produced the current National Working Committee (NWC) members under the chairmanship of Barrister Julius Abure.

The NEC in session believes very strongly that the present National Working Committee will lead the party in subsequent elections to victory and therefore reimpose their confidence in the NWC.

4. NEC in session condem in strong terms the activities of the Caretaker Committee illegally established by Alex Otti and Peter Obi in a so-called Stakeholders meeting held on the 4thof September 2024 in Umuahia.

5. The Supreme court admonished party leaders and members of the party to always abide by the constitution of the party.

NEC noted that Article 14 (4) (B) gives power to call meetings only to the National Secretary with the approval of the National Chairman. Accordingly, NEC warned all members to abide by the constitution of the party.

6. NEC in session notes the various anti-party activities of Gov. Alex Otti, including calling of unauthorized Stakeholders meeting and usurping the powers of NEC. He also conducted LGA Election using another Political Party. The Governor has also intensified his effort to factionalize the party leadership by caliing an illegal NEC schedule to hold on Wednesday. The leadership of the Labour Party is also aware of Governor’s plot to cripple our party before moving to another political party where he hope to contest the 2027 Governorshp Election. His anti-party activities is unbecoming of highly respected personality and can no longer be acceptable, NEC stated that it will not hesitate to discipline him in line with Article 19 of the Party’s Constitution.

7. NEC in session noted that would not hesitate to discipline any other erring member who violates the party constitution regardless of how big or powerful such individuals may be.

8. NEC in session in exercise of its duties, hereby caution the former presidential candidate of our great party not to participate in any action capable of undermining the peace unity, and integrity of the party as the NEC will not hesitate to issue stiffer penalty if found culpable.

9. NEC in session reviewed the activities of the House of Representatives Caucus leader, Honourable Victor Adam Ogene and wishes to note as follow: That the voice of the current leadership of the party is not being heard in the hallowed lower chambers; that there is a lack of cohesion amongst our members in the House; that the leadership appears to be compromised; and that the ideology and programs of the party are not well represented. NEC in session, as result of the aforementioned decided to relieve Honourable Ogene of that leadership role for dereliction of duty. Consequently Hon. Barrister Ben Etanabene has been appointed by the NEC in session as the Labour Party’s Caucus Leader in the House of Representatives. NEC mandated the NWC to communicate the decision to relevant authorities. He is to hand over all the party’s properties in his possession, particularly all the financial contributions made so far by other Labour Party lawmakers which are in his possession to the party, and render proper account to the party with immediate effect. The party will go to any length to retrieve all its belongings, including monies that belong to it which Hon. Ogene is holding tight to.

10. NEC in session assured all Nigerians of a good leadership under the current leadership of the Labour Party. Labour Party is willing to provide Nigerians good governance, security, economic growth and development, infrastructure development, robust electoral system, free and independent judiciary, if given the opportunity and mandate by Nigerians to provide leaders for the country. We therefore assure all Nigerians of a political party that is different, and that has internal party democracy.

Barrister Julius Abure – National Chairman 

Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim – National Secretary

Also, a former managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Muoghalu, has secured the ticket of the Labour Party ( LP) for the same election.

While Soludo secured the ticket through affirmation by the party’s delegates at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, on Saturday, Muoghalu emerged LP flag-bearer with a total of 575 votes of the delegates at the primary election held at Finotel Hotel, also in Awka, the state capital this Saturday.

Even though Muoghalu’s only challenger, John Nwosu had withdrawn from the contest about eight hours before the exercise1, he was credited with 19 votes.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election was underway at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were sighted at the venues of both APGA and LP governorship primary elections, respectively.

While presenting the party’s nomination certificate to the governor, Chairman of the APGA Primary Election Electoral Committee, Chief Uchenna Nwegbo, said the process was in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

Nwegbo said that Soludo’s unanimous adoption as the sole candidate of the party for the November 8 governorship election also adhered to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Total delegates for this election is 3,260; 3,175 are accredited delegates. 3,172 is the total votes, while 4 votes were invalid.

“The total yes-votes garnered by the governor is 3,168, while there were no no-votes.

“So, in line with the INEC guidelines and with the powers conferred on me as the chief returning officer for this election, I, Uche Nwegbo, hereby declare the governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as returned, as the candidate of our party.”

Reacting, the governor praised APGA officials for organising what he called a well-structured exercise.

He also commended the delegates for their disciplined conduct and expressed gratitude to the people for their trust and support.

“Never before in Anambra’s history has there been such a wide consensus. I am truly humbled, and I assure you that I will not let APGA and the people of Anambra down.

“We will continue to work to deepen our vision of infrastructure development, human capital investment, security and economic transformation.

“Anambra has not seen anything yet. Our agenda is loaded, and we will continue the progress unbroken,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Soludo has re-nominated Dr Onyekachi Ibezim as his running mate for the forthcoming governorship election in the state. NAN/Leadership

The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives welcomed the judgement of the Supreme Court, saying it meant the removal of Abure as the National Chairman of the party.

The Supreme Court on Friday reversed the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which recognised Abure as the National Chairman of the LP.

The apex court predicated its action on the grounds that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party after holding that the substance of the case borders on the party’s leadership.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, had on January 17, recognised Abure as the National Chairman of the LP.

Justice Hamma Barka, who delivered the lead judgement had said that their decision was based on their earlier judgement of November 13, 2024, which recognises Abure as national chairman, adding that the judgement subsists and has not been set aside by any court.

Dissatisfied, Usman, who heads a committee set up by the LP to run the affairs of the party in the interim, alongside the caretaker committee, had approached the apex court to challenge the decision of the appellate court recognising Abure as national chairman of the party.

Delivering judgement in the appeal marked: SC/CV/56/2025, Justice John Inyang Okoro, who prepared the lead judgement as delivered by Mohammed Baba Idris, held that the issue bordering on leadership of a political party remains an internal affair of that party, which no courts has jurisdiction to entertain.

According to the judgement, the appellate court found that the main relief in the suit filed by the LP before the Federal High Court, Abuja, was predicated on the leadership of the party and therefore not justiciable.

Justice Idris explained that having found that the issue of leadership was not justiciable, the court below ought not to have gone further to pronounce Abure as the National Chairman of the party.

“In summary, both the trial court and the lower have no jurisdiction to have entertained the suit by the first respondent (LP).

“Flowing from above, the decisions of the trial court and the court below, recognising Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the first respondent are hereby set aside,” the apex court held.

Besides, the apex court urged political parties and their members to always endeavour to allow their constitutions and rules guide them in choosing their leaders as well as their candidates.

The court noted that by doing so the incessant wrangling and recourse to court will be reduced, adding that officers of the parties, whose tenure of office has expired should not hesitate to vacate office.

After agreeing with the appellants that the lower court erred in law by acknowledging Abure’s leadership, the apex court subsequently allowed the appeal and quashed the Court of Appeal judgement.

The apex court also went ahead to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP for being incompetent and lacking in merit.

Recall that Justice Barka had while delivering judgement in two separate appeals filed by Senator Usman and the caretaker committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), held that it did not delve into the issue of the leadership of the Labour Party, because such issues are not justiciable.

It was the position of the appellate court that anything done outside jurisdiction amounts to a nullity, “Hence the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on October 8, 2024 by Justice Emeka Nwite is of no effect because it was delivered without jurisdiction.”

“We cannot say this appeal fails or succeed because the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place,” Barka held.

While striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction, Barka held that the appellate court relied on its previous judgement of November 13 last year to hold that “Abure Remains National Chairman of the Labour Party.”

Owing to this, Usman in a statement stated, ”The recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which allowed the appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman—declaring it meritorious—while dismissing the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the Labour Party as unmeritorious, is a victory for the rule of law and a significant milestone for our democracy.

”It is important to emphasise that this is not a time for triumphalism—there is no victor and no vanquished. What matters most is our shared commitment to the ideals and aspirations of the Labour Party and the Nigerian people. We must now come together, united in purpose and vision, to move the party forward.

”The Labour Party remains one indivisible family, steadfast in its mission to create a New Nigeria founded on justice, equity, and people-centred governance.

”We call on all party members, supporters, and stakeholders to remain calm, focused, and committed to the democratic ideals that bind us. A New Nigeria is POssible!”

Reacting differently to the judgement, PACESETTER reports that the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour party, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement signed by him and published on Labour party’s verified X handle said, “The Supreme Court today, April 4, 2025 gave a judgement in the cases brought against the Labour Party. In its judgement, the court said the matter is purely an internal affairs of the political party of which courts have no business to dabble into them.

”The Supreme Court insists that the lower courts should have declined jurisdiction and shouldn’t have made pronouncement on the leadership of a political party. It therefore struck out Senator Nenadi Usman’s appeal at the Appeal Court and the Labour Party suit at the trial court.

”The Supreme Court judgement didn’t sack Labour Party National Chairman Barrister Julius Abure rather it rightly upheld the preceding and accumulated High Courts and Appeal Court judgments upholding the immutability of responsibility of Labour Party structures to choose its leaders.

”The judgement did not also set aside the Appeal Court judgement in Labour Party vs Ebiseni and 2 others (CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024) delivered on the 13th November 2024 which affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. The judgement is still valid and subsisting and has not been appealed.

”The implication is very clear. Barrister Julius Abure remains Labour Party national chairman,” Ifoh said

According to the spokesman of the Abure-led Labour party, ”The question is: who are the leaders of the party? The party constitution is clear as to who are the leaders of the party. The leadership of the party has been the National Working Committee led by Barrister Julius Abure.

“The party constitution is also clear on who has the power to call for the national convention or any national meeting.

“Article 14 of 2024 constitution as amended gives powers to the National Secretary of the party…”to issue notices of meetings of the national convention, national executive council, the national working committee in consultation with and approval of the National Chairman.”

“Accordingly, the National convention of the party was called by the leadership of the party on the 27 of March 2024 where the leaders of the party emerged. The report of the National Convention is already with INEC and that leadership is recognised by INEC.

“The gathering of people in Umuahia is clearly not in line with the constitution and therefore the celebration by some persons that the leadership of Julius Abure has been sacked were only trying to be mischievous and misleading and that the Supreme Court didn’t say so,” Ifoh said.

He explained that the leadership of the party is therefore satisfied with the judgement of the apex court which goes to reaffirm Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party and the current National Working Committee as validly elected having been duly nominated, endorsed, and ratified through the internal mechanism of the Labour Party statutory organs in line with the party’s constitution.

“We are therefore calling on all true members of the Labour Party to abide by the judgement of the apex court, and to always resort to internal party mechanism in resolving party affairs and not to always rush to the court. It is only the political parties that have the powers to choose its leaders, not the courts. Everybody must learn to respect the decisions of the party and its constitution.

”The position of the Supreme Court is that the structures of the party is capable of handling any matters as it concerns its affairs and as it is today, the Labour Party National Chairman is and remains Barrister Julius Abure,” Ifoh stressed.

Meanwhile, the LP caucus in the House of Representatives has welcomed the judgement of the Supreme Court, which removed Abure as the National Chairman of the party.

The caucus noted that Abure’s exit would bring stability and reinvention to the party.

According to the caucus, the judgement was a timely counsel to leaders who play god in the affairs of men, particularly in a democracy.

In a statement issued on Friday, shortly after the Supreme Court pronouncement, the Leader of the Caucus, Afam Ogene, described the development as a “Veritable tonic for the revitalisation of the party” that has been engulfed by leadership tussle in recent times.

He commended the apex court of the judgement, stressing that LP can now experience a new lease of life.

The apex court set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which recognised Abure as the National Chairman of the party.

The Anambra lawmaker added that with the judgement, “The party will hasten to implement necessary mechanisms to restore internal peace and get the party back on track, to reassure its teeming members of the party’s viability for future elections and its commitment to leadership that prioritises the interests and welfare of the people.”

Arise News/Pacesetter

In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday morning, a five-member panel of the apex court Justices ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to affirm Abure’s position as LP’s national chairman.

The justices held that the substance of the case was centered on party leadership, which falls under internal party affairs—a matter over which courts lack jurisdiction.

The ruling effectively nullified the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s stance that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally rather than through judicial intervention. Leadership