“Not A Meddlesome Interloper” — Court Of Appeal Grants Otti’s Joinder In Appeals Challenging LP Leadership, Orders Accelerated Hearing

The Court of Appeal has granted two applications filed by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, seeking to be joined as a respondent in appeals challenging the January 21 judgment of the Federal High Court, which affirmed the Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the Labour Party (LP).

In separate rulings delivered on Tuesday, a three-member panel of the appellate court unanimously held that the governor’s applications were meritorious.

Delivering the lead rulings, Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi stated that Otti, as the only serving governor elected on the platform of the Labour Party and a statutory member of its National Executive Committee (NEC), plays a central role in the party’s affairs and is therefore a necessary party in the appeals.

The court further held that Otti is not a meddlesome interloper but a stakeholder whose rights, interests and political future could be affected by the outcome of the appeals, which revolve around the leadership structure of the party under which he intends to seek re-election.

The judge, who noted that Otti has a constitutional right to seek re-election, held that he has sufficiently demonstrated that his being joined in both appeals would assist the court in effectively determining the issues before the court.

She proceeded to issue an order that Otti be joined as the fifth respondent in the first appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026, and to be made the sixth respondent in the second appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/256/2026.

Justice Oyewumi ordered the appellants on both appeals to file their appellants their brief within five days, to reflect Otti as a party, the respondents to file their briefs within three days, while the reply briefs should be filed within two days, where necessary.

She adjourned till April 10 at 10am for the hearing of two other applications filed by five individuals, who are seeking to be made parties in both appeals.

The five are Prince Ifagbemi Awamaridi, Dr. Mohammed Akinloye, Comrade Kabir David, Comrade Ibrahim Alawiye and Comrade Ibrahim Zakare, who claimed to also be leaders of the party.

The first of the appeals was filed by Julius Abure (as National Chairman of the LP) and Umar Farouk Ibrahim (National Secretary of the party), while the second was filed in the name of the party (LP).

The first appeal has Usman (described as Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the party), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), LP and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as respondents.

The second appeal has Usman, INEC, Abure, Ibrahim and the LP as respondents.

The appeals are challenging the January 21 judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, which held, among others, that the Usman-led Caretaker Committee was the authentic leadership body of the LP.