A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), effectively nullifying his claim to the position.
Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment delivered on Wednesday, declared that a former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, is the legitimate leader of the party.
The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise the Usman-led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party” until a national convention is held.
The ruling followed a suit marked THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, filed by Usman against Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
Justice Lifu held that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired and that the evidence before the court did not support his continued stay in office.
He also rejected Abure’s argument that the dispute was an internal party affair and therefore not justiciable.
According to the judge, the establishment of the LP Caretaker Committee headed by Usman was “a necessity” arising from the decision of the Supreme Court.
The leadership dispute began after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) removed Abure as chairman following a prolonged internal crisis.
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To address the leadership vacuum, the NEC constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with Usman as chairperson.
The decision was taken at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting hosted in Umuahia by Abia State Governor Alex Otti. The meeting was chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who had previously been a close ally of Abure.
Dissatisfied with his removal, Abure approached the Federal High Court seeking validation of his position. In an affidavit supporting his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, he claimed he was duly elected acting national chairman after the death of the party’s former chairman at an NEC meeting in Benin City on March 29, 2021.
He further told the court that at another NEC meeting in Asaba on April 18, 2023, monitored by INEC, the party renewed the tenures of some state chairmen, expelled members accused of anti-party activities, and filled vacant positions.
Abure also stated that the party later held a national convention in Nnewi on March 27, 2024, where he said he was lawfully elected as national chairman.
He added that under his leadership, the party produced candidates for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
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 overturned those decisions.
In its lead judgment prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court upheld the appeal filed by Senator Usman and the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Hon. Darlington Nwokocha.
It also dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal and reminded political parties to adhere strictly to their internal rules in appointing officers.
The Supreme Court further advised party officials whose tenures have expired to vacate office when due.
