The Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, has affirmed that only the recognised national leadership of the Labour Party under Senator Nenadi Usman can authorise litigation in the party’s name.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, by Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, who said the July 2 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, in Appeal No. CA/OW/104/2026: Labour Party & 14 others v. Abia State Independent Electoral Commission & four others reaffirmed the legal authority of the Usman-led leadership to institute or maintain court proceedings on behalf of the party.
According to him, the appeal arose from a pre-election dispute after the party discovered that an appeal had been filed in its name without the knowledge, approval or authorisation of its recognised national leadership.
He said the party’s National Legal Adviser, Mrs Taiwo Ajayi, subsequently instructed Mr C. Okoroafor through a letter dated June 22, 2026, to represent the Labour Party and take the necessary steps to withdraw the appeal.
He explained that when the matter came up before the appellate court, two lawyers announced appearances for the Labour Party, prompting the court to demand documentary proof of their authority to represent the party.
The party noted that while Mrs A. Oteh relied on a letter from Mr Ceekay Igara, who claimed to be the party’s South-East Vice Chairman, Okoroafor presented a letter of authority issued by the national legal adviser on behalf of the recognised national leadership.
The court he said accepted the authority issued through the Office of the National Legal Adviser as the valid authorisation, after which Oteh withdrew her appearance and the counter-affidavit she had filed in the matter.
The court subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded N100,000 costs against counsel who acted on the authority of Igara.
”The party considers this decision significant, as it once again reinforces the established legal principle that only the duly recognised national leadership, acting through its authorised officers, possesses the legal competence to engage counsel and to commence, defend or sustain legal proceedings in the name of the Labour Party.
”Also, the judgment in effect reaffirmed the leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman as the only authentic and valid leadership of the Party. The party also vowed to continue resisting what it described as attempts by unauthorised persons to act on its behalf.
”The Labour Party reiterates that it will continue to challenge every attempt by unauthorised persons, including Julius Abure and Mr Ceekay Igara, to hold themselves out as representatives of the Labour Party or to initiate, defend or maintain legal proceedings in its name without lawful authority,” Asogwa stated.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement on Monday, the spokesman for the Julius Abure faction of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said the group was dissatisfied with the verdict but would challenge it at the Supreme Court.
While stating that Abure would abide by the ruling, Ifoh said they would immediately head to the Supreme Court to challenge it.
The dispute over the Labour Party’s leadership has been the subject of multiple court cases following rival claims to the party’s national leadership with the Nenadi led exco winning most cases.
