Apapa made the announcement during a press conference on Wednesday, referencing the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court ruling.
Lamidi Apapa has declared that he has assumed leadership of the Labour Party following the Supreme Court ruling that ousted Julius Abure as the national chairman of the opposition party.
Apapa made the announcement during a press conference on Wednesday, referencing the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court ruling.
According to Apapa, the ruling nullified Abure’s leadership.
The five-member panel of the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal's decision in Abuja, which had previously recognised Abure as the party’s national chairman.
He also stated that the party's National Working Committee, as constituted in 2022, will convene on Monday, April 14, 2025.
He said, “Following the dismissal of the cross-appeal filed by the ousted former National Chairman Bar Julius Abure, also by the Supreme Court on 4th April 2025, what this means is that all actions and decisions taken by Julius Abure since 4th April 2023, are null and void.
“Following the decision of the Supreme Court on setting aside all judgements that recognise the leadership of Julius Abure as National Chairman, I, ALH BASHIRU LAMIDI APAPA, the most senior deputy national, and in consonance with our party constitution, Article 14 2(a)(b), hereby take over the running of the affairs of our great party with effect from today, Wednesday, the 9th day of April 2025, in an acting capacity, and Alh Farouk Umar Ibrahim as National Secretary.
“My leadership hereby calls on all members of the Labour Party that the National Working Committee of our party as of 2022 will meet next week, Monday, 14th April 2025, to announce our plans, which will include zoning the position of National Chairman to the North and National Secretary to the South.”
According to Apapa, his leadership will “resuscitate the moribund Board of Trustees and make it functional”.
He said, “The National Working Committee members listed below are hereby put on notice about the NWC meeting coming up on Monday next week, where we will immediately set in motion the conduct of Ward Congresses, Local Government Congresses, State Congresses, and National Convention, where every member of our party shall have the right to participate, provided you are a financial member.
“Deputy National Chairman NLC, Mr. Ladi Iliya; Deputy National Chairman TUC, Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi, National Secretary; Alh. Umar Farouq Ibrahim, National Legal Adviser; Bar. Oyelekan Akingbade, National Publicity Secretary; Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, National Treasurer; and Mrs. Oluchi Opara, National Youth Leader.”
The Supreme Court in its recent judgement said, “In the instant case, the court below having found that the 1st Respondent's (Labour Party) main relief was relief number five (5) which was predicated on the leadership of the 1st Respondent and thus, not justiciable, strayed beyond its jurisdiction into the realm where even angels dread to tread to pronounce Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the 1st Respondent.
“Their Lordships of the lower court were wrong to so do. The principle of law applicable here is as expressed in the latin maxim: Nihil non-ecpectant aedificare store meaning that "one cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand".
“The Respondent's suit at the trial court had no legs to stand in the circumstance and deserves to be struck out. Permit me at this point to reiterate the trite position of the law that if a court is bereft of jurisdiction to entertain the main relief in an action, it will not have the jurisdiction to entertain the ancillary claim and moreso if the ancillary claim will inevitably involve a discussion of the main claim, as in this case.
“The 3 issues submitted for determination are hereby jointly resolved in favour of the Appellants. In summary, both the trial court and the court below had no jurisdiction to entertain the suit of this 1st Respondent which main relief, as they both rightly observed, was inserted as relief number five (5) as though it was an appendage.
“Consequent upon the foregoing, the decisions of both trial court and the court below recognizing Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the 1st Respondent are hereby set aside and suit No. FHCj ABJjCSj1271j2024 is hereby struck out for want of jurisdiction.
“In the same vein, the 1st Respondent's cross-appeal in Appeal No.SCjCV j56Aj2025 being an offshoot of the same judgment of the court below, is hereby dismissed. Before I am done, may I admonish political parties and their members to endeavor to always allow their constitutions, rules, regulations and guidelines to guide them in choosing their officers as well as candidates.
“That way, incessant internal rifts which always find their way to court would be reduced. If the constitution of a political party has prescribed duration for tenure of office of an officer, such officer should be humble enough to leave at the expiration of the tenure.”
