The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the party’s lawful leadership.
Justice Peter Lifu, in his judgement, relied on the April 4, 2025 decision of the Supreme Court to declare former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the valid leader of the party pending the conduct of a national convention.
The court directed INEC to immediately recognise the caretaker committee as the only legitimate authority to represent the Labour Party. The ruling followed a suit filed by Usman and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, in which Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress were listed as defendants.
Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court showed that Abure’s tenure had expired and rejected his argument that the dispute was an internal party matter beyond judicial intervention. The judge ruled that the constitution of a caretaker committee became necessary following the directive of the Supreme Court.
The leadership crisis within the Labour Party had earlier led the party’s National Executive Committee to remove Abure and set up a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by Usman. The decision was taken at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, hosted by Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Abure had approached the court to affirm his position, citing previous NEC meetings and the party’s 2024 national convention. While lower courts initially ruled in his favour, the Supreme Court overturned those decisions, emphasising that political parties must adhere strictly to their constitutions and that officers must vacate office when their tenures expire.
