Ogona Anita
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday formally removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), bringing a decisive legal end to the prolonged leadership crisis that has rocked the opposition party.
In a judgement delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court relied on the April 4, 2025, decision of the Supreme Court to declare former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the lawful leader of the party.
Consequently, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the conduct of the party’s next national convention.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Senator Usman before the Federal High Court, marked THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, in which she cited Julius Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as defendants.
Justice Lifu held that evidence placed before the court clearly showed that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired, dismissing his argument that the dispute was merely an internal party affair. The judge ruled instead that the constitution of the LP Caretaker Committee was “a necessity” to ensure compliance with the directive of the Supreme Court.
The judgement comes against the backdrop of a deepening leadership crisis within the Labour Party. The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had earlier removed Abure and inaugurated a 29-member Caretaker Committee, appointing Senator Usman as its chairperson. That decision was subsequently endorsed at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, hosted by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
Notably, the stakeholders’ meeting that ratified Abure’s removal was chaired by his former ally and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
Following his removal, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking judicial validation of his position as National Chairman. In an affidavit filed in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, he claimed that he was lawfully elected Acting National Chairman at a NEC meeting held on March 29, 2021, in Benin City, Edo State.
Abure further argued that at a subsequent NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on April 18, 2023, the party renewed the tenures of state chairmen whose terms had elapsed and filled vacant positions arising from the expulsion of members accused of anti-party activities.
He also maintained that following a consensus resolution of the NEC, the party held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he said he was lawfully elected National Chairman. He added that under his leadership, the Labour Party fielded governorship candidates in Edo and Ondo states.
Although both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially upheld Abure’s claims and ordered INEC to recognise him as LP chairman, those decisions were later overturned by the Supreme Court.
In its lead judgement, prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court upheld the appeal filed by the Caretaker Committee’s Chairman and Secretary, Senator Nenadi Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, respectively.
The Supreme Court also dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal, admonishing political parties to strictly observe their internal rules in appointing officers and warning that officials whose tenures have expired must vacate office in line with democratic and constitutional principles.
