The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court relied on the April 4, 2025 verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to declare former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, as the valid leader of the party.
Consequently, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the convening of a national convention.
The judgment followed a suit marked THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, filed by Usman. Aside from Abure, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) was also listed as a defendant.
Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court showed Abure’s tenure as LP national chairman had elapsed. He dismissed Abure’s argument that the dispute was a non-justiciable internal party affair, ruling instead that the establishment of the LP Caretaker Committee was a “necessity” arising from the Supreme Court’s earlier decision.
The court recalled that following a leadership crisis within the party, the LP National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to remove Abure and constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, chaired by Usman. The decision followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia and hosted by Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
That meeting, which culminated in Abure’s removal, was chaired by his former ally and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Dissatisfied, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking validation of his position as national chairman. In an affidavit supporting suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, he argued that he was lawfully elected Acting National Chairman at a NEC meeting in Benin City on March 29, 2021, following the death of the substantive chairman.
He further told the court that at a NEC meeting held in Asaba on April 18, 2023—monitored by INEC—the party renewed the tenures of state chairmen whose terms had expired, expelled members engaged in anti-party activities, and filled resulting vacancies.
He maintained that a National Convention subsequently held on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi lawfully elected him National Chairman, and that under his leadership the party produced candidates for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
While both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially upheld Abure’s position and ordered INEC to recognise him, the Supreme Court later overturned those decisions.
In its lead judgment prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by Usman and the Caretaker Committee’s Secretary, Darlington Nwokocha, and dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal.
The Supreme Court further admonished political parties to adhere strictly to their constitutions and rules in appointing officers, urging officials whose tenures have expired to vacate office accordingly.
