A Lagos High Court has issued an interim injunction restraining the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) from recognising or accepting any candidates presented by the Lagos State Executive Committee of the Labour Party, allegedly appointed by Barrister Julius Abure for the upcoming local government elections.
The court ruling, delivered on June 5, 2025, by Justice M.A. Savage, came in response to a suit filed by Mr. Oluwasegun Sekonu. The suit challenges the legitimacy of the Labour Party’s Lagos State Executive Committee, formed under the leadership of Julius Abure and contests its authority to nominate candidates for the July 12, 2025, elections.
In the originating summons, Sekonu raised key legal questions centred on the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court judgment in Senator Esther Nenadi Usman & Anor v. Labour Party & Anor (SC/CV/56/2024). The claimant argued that the judgment, which set aside earlier decisions by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, affects the authority of the state executive appointed by Abure and, by implication, invalidates any nominations made by it.
The reliefs sought by the claimant included: An order restraining LASIEC and its agents from recognising or accepting any candidates nominated by the Abure-backed Lagos State Executive of the Labour Party; An order mandating LASIEC to accept only candidates nominated by a lawfully constituted state executive recognized by the valid national leadership of the Labour Party; A further injunction prohibiting LASIEC from processing or acting on nomination forms and electoral documents from the disputed state executive.
In granting the interim injunction, Justice Savage relied on established principles from the KOTOYE v. CBN case, emphasising that interim injunctions are issued only where “special circumstances” and “real urgency” exist. He noted that failure to grant the reliefs sought could cause “irretrievable harm or injury” to the applicant.
“The applicant has satisfied the court by providing a satisfactory undertaking as to damages in the event that the injunction is found to be improperly granted,” Justice Savage said. “I hold that there is strong urgency, and the grant of this application will help preserve the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice in this matter.”
The judge ruled: “An order restraining the defendant in this suit, by itself, its agents, officers or howsoever described, from recognizing or accepting any candidate(s) for the forthcoming local government elections nominated by the Lagos State Executive Committee of the Labour Party purportedly appointed by Barrister Julius Abure, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
“An order restraining the defendant from accepting, processing or acting on any nomination forms, candidates’ list, or electoral documents submitted by the state executive committee of the Labour Party in Lagos State, pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
However, the court declined to grant the third prayer in the application, the details of which were not specified in the ruling.
A motion on notice has been scheduled to be heard on June 24, 2025.
Separately, in a letter dated April 23, 2025, the Yahweh Law Office, acting on behalf of Mr. Sekonu, formally notified LASIEC of the legal challenge. The letter, signed by Principal Partner Osato O. Oromeh, reminded LASIEC that the April 4 Supreme Court judgment invalidated prior judgments which had recognised Abure’s appointments and urged the commission not to accept candidates from the disputed executive body.
The letter warned: “We expect your response within seven days from the service of this letter, failing which, we shall resort to litigation wherein we shall be praying for an order of court restraining you from accepting and recognizing any candidates presented by the purported Lagos State Executive Committee of the Labour Party for the forthcoming Local Government Elections.”
With the court’s interim orders now in effect, the legal uncertainty over the Labour Party’s Lagos candidates deepens, pending final judicial resolution.
