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 decision of the Supreme Court to recognise former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, as the leader of the party.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the only authority authorised to represent the Labour Party pending the conduct of a national convention.
The ruling followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, which was filed by Mrs Usman.
Mr Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) were listed as defendants in the suit.
Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court showed that Abure’s tenure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party had elapsed.
The judge dismissed Abure’s arguement that the matter was an internal party affair and therefore not justiciable. He held that the establishment of the Caretaker Committee followed the directive of the Supreme Court.
The court noted that the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had earlier resolved to remove Abure following a leadership dispute within the party.
To address the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member Caretaker Committee with Usman as chairman.
The decision followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State and hosted by Governor Alex Otti. The meeting was chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Following his removal, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking validation of his position as National Chairman.
In an affidavit supporting the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, Abure stated that he was 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 chairman.
He also told the court that at a NEC meeting held on April 18, 2023, in Asaba, Delta State and monitored by INEC, the party resolved to renew the tenures of state chairmen whose terms had expired.
Abure said the meeting also approved the expulsion of members accused of anti-party activities and the appointment of replacements.
He further stated that the party held its national convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was elected National Chairman.
Abure said the party under his leadership produced candidates for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
While the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal had earlier ruled in Abure’s favour and ordered INEC to recognise him, the Supreme Court overturned the decisions.
In its lead judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal filed by Usman and the secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Darlington Nwokocha.
The apex court dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal and advised political parties to adhere to their constitutions in the appointment of officers. It also stated that party officials whose tenures had expired should vacate their offices.
Reacting to the judgment, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong said he was present in court when Justice Lifu delivered the ruling.
In a post on X, Mr Effiong said the court affirmed that Julius Abure’s tenure had elapsed and directed INEC to recognise Usman as the party’s leader.
