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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sacked Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman pending the conduct of the party’s national convention.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, held that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed.
The judge ruled that the Usman-led caretaker committee remained the only valid authority to act for and represent the Labour Party, relying on the subsisting position of the Supreme Court on the party’s leadership crisis.
Justice Lifu dismissed Abure’s contention that the matter was an internal party affair and therefore non-justiciable, holding that the constitution of the caretaker committee was necessitated by the Supreme Court’s judgment.
He consequently directed INEC to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee pending the conduct of the party’s national convention.
The National Executive Committee of the party had earlier resolved to remove Abure as national chairman at 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, Mr Peter Obi.
Following Abure’s removal, the NEC constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with Usman appointed as chairperson.
Abure, however, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to validate his continued stay in office as national chairman.
The PUNCH reports that in April 2025, the Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which had recognised Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, unanimously held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to determine the leadership of the party.
The Supreme Court consequently upheld the appeal filed by Usman, who was appointed caretaker chairperson in September 2024 alongside 28 others.
