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 to declare a former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther 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 conduct of a national convention.
The judgment followed a suit marked THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, which was instituted by the former minister. Apart from Abure, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) was also listed as a defendant in the suit.
Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court clearly showed that Abure’s tenure as National Chairman of the Labour Party had elapsed. He dismissed Abure’s argument that the matter was an internal party affair and therefore non-justiciable, ruling instead that the constitution of the LP Caretaker Committee was a necessity arising from the Supreme Court’s directive.
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The court recalled that following a protracted leadership crisis within the party, the National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to remove Abure as National Chairman. To address the leadership vacuum, a 29-member caretaker committee was constituted, with Senator Usman appointed as its chairperson.
The decision followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party held in Umuahia, Abia State, and hosted by Governor Alex Otti. The meeting, at which Abure was removed, was chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking validation of his position as National Chairman. In an affidavit deposed to in support of the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, Abure maintained that he was lawfully elected Acting National Chairman at a NEC meeting held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021, following the death of the party’s former chairman.
He further told the court that at the April 18, 2023 NEC meeting held in Asaba, Delta State, and monitored by INEC, the party resolved to renew the tenures of state chairmen whose terms had expired, expelled some members for alleged anti-party activities, and filled vacant positions.
Abure argued that based on resolutions reached at the meeting, the party subsequently held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was elected National Chairman. He added that under his leadership, the party fielded candidates in the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
While both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially ruled in Abure’s favour and ordered INEC to recognise him, the Supreme Court later overturned the decisions of the two lower courts.
In its lead judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court upheld the appeal filed by the Chairperson and Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, respectively. The Supreme Court also dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal and advised political parties to strictly adhere to their internal rules in appointing party officials.
The apex court further urged party officials whose tenures have expired to vacate office in line with democratic principles and party constitutions.
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