The Labour Party has welcomed a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Owerri, saying the judgment confirmed that only its recognised national leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman has the authority to handle legal matters on behalf of the party.
The decision was delivered on July 2, 2026, in a pre-election appeal involving the Labour Party, the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission and other parties.
In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, the party said the appeal was filed in its name without the approval or knowledge of its recognised national leadership.
According to the statement, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Mrs. Taiwo Mary Ajayi, directed lawyer C. Okoroafor through a letter dated June 22, 2026, to appear in court and begin the process of withdrawing the appeal after the leadership became aware of it.
During the hearing, two lawyers appeared on behalf of the Labour Party, leading the Court of Appeal to ask both sides to present documents showing they had the authority to represent the party.
One lawyer relied on a letter said to have been issued by C. K. Igara, who claimed to be the party’s South-East Vice Chairman, while the other presented a formal authorisation from the office of the National Legal Adviser acting on behalf of the recognised national leadership.
After reviewing the documents before it, the court accepted the authority issued through the National Legal Adviser as the valid representation of the Labour Party.
Following that decision, the lawyer who had initially filed the appeal withdrew her appearance for the party and also withdrew the counter-affidavit previously filed in opposition to the request to discontinue the case. The court then struck out the appeal and ordered the lawyer who acted under the authority claimed by Igara to pay N100,000 in costs.
Reacting to the judgment, the Labour Party said the ruling confirmed that only its recognised national leadership has the power to appoint lawyers and begin, defend or continue legal actions in the party’s name.
The party also said the judgment affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the lawful leader of the Labour Party. It added that it would continue to challenge attempts by individuals it described as unauthorised, including Barrister Julius Abure and C. K. Igara, to represent the party or conduct legal matters on its behalf.
The Labour Party also restated its commitment to respecting the rule of law, following its constitution, maintaining internal discipline and protecting the identity and structure of the party.