A fresh twist has hit the Labour Party leadership crisis as a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday removed Julius Abure as National Chairman and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in suit number FHC ABJ CS 2262 2025, the court ruled that Abure’s tenure had elapsed and that he no longer had the legal standing to occupy the office of national chairman.
The court held that the Nenadi Usman led caretaker committee remains the only lawful authority empowered to act for and represent the Labour Party pending the conduct of a national convention.
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Justice Lifu anchored his decision on the subsisting position of the Supreme Court, stressing that the constitution of the caretaker committee was not a discretionary political move but a necessity flowing directly from the apex court’s ruling on the party’s leadership dispute.
He dismissed Abure’s argument that the matter was an internal party affair beyond judicial intervention, holding that once a court pronounces on such an issue, it becomes justiciable.
The judge consequently directed INEC to immediately recognise the Nenadi Usman led caretaker committee as the legitimate leadership of the party.
The ruling follows an earlier decision by the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party, which removed Abure during an expanded stakeholders meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State. The meeting was hosted by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the party’s former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
At that meeting, the NEC constituted a 29 member caretaker committee with Nenadi Usman appointed as chairperson to stabilise the party and organise a national convention.
Abure, however, challenged his removal in court, seeking judicial validation of his continued stay in office. That move has now been firmly shut down by the Federal High Court.
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The judgment also reinforces the April 2025 decision of the Supreme Court, which set aside an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that had recognised Abure as national chairman.
In that landmark judgment, a five member panel of the apex court led by Justice Inyang Okoro unanimously held that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to determine the leadership of the Labour Party.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal filed by Nenadi Usman, who was appointed caretaker chairperson in September 2024 alongside 28 other members.
With Wednesday’s ruling, the legal and political tides appear to have fully turned against Abure, placing the Labour Party firmly under the control of the Usman led caretaker committee as it prepares for a decisive national convention that could shape its future direction.
