The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by Julius Abure, challenging the legitimacy of the leadership of the Labour Party led by a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a judgment,  unanimously affirmed the January 21 judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court,  Abuja.

Lifu in his judgment upheld the legitimacy of the 29-member LP caretaker committee led by  Usman.

The judge relied on an April 4, 2025 decision of the Supreme Court which held that Abure’s tenure as the party’s National Chairman had expired.

In Tuesday’s proceeding, the appellate court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Usman and other members of her committee as the legitimate leaders of the LP.

The lead judgment was delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, which  Justices Abba Mohammed and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike agreed with.

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The appellate court held that the earlier judgment of Supreme Court conclusively settled the leadership dispute within the LP when it nullified the convention that purportedly returned Abure as National Chairman.

The court further held that the court below had the powers under Section 251 of the Constitution to compel a statutory Federal Government agency to perform its functions when it ordered INEC to recognise Usman as the National Chairman of the LP.

It equally agreed with the trial court that the constitution of the LP’s caretaker committee, headed by Usman, was a doctrine of necessity needed to provide leadership in the party when there appeared to be a vacuum.

The court faulted Abure’s claims that he was denied fair hearing by the trial court and accused him of engaging in the abuse of court process.

The court also accused Abure of engaging in forum shopping by going before a Nasarawa State High Court over a case that was already decided by the Supreme Court.

Also, and for persisting in laying claim to the leadership of the party despite the clear and unambiguous pronouncement of the apex court.