The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Julius Abure as the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and imposed a fine on Lamidi Apapa.
In a judgement delivered by Justice Hamma Barka on Wednesday, the Appellate Court confirmed Abure as the rightful Chairman of the LP, overturning the decision of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court which had previously restrained him and two others from holding their positions in the party. The court ruled that the high court had no jurisdiction to make the earlier decision, and therefore set it aside. Additionally, the Appellate Court ordered Apapa to pay a fine of One million Naira to Abure. The legal battle between Abure and Apapa began after the 2023 presidential election, in which LP's candidate, Peter Obi, finished third. Apapa contested the party's chairmanship with Abure, leading to a prolonged legal dispute. On March 21, 2024, Abure was arrested in Benin City on allegations of attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and other charges. Videos of his arrest showed him being manhandled by police, while LP supporters protested against his detention. Ab