Court Removes Abure as Labour Party Chairman, Directs INEC to Recognize Nenadi Usman Caretaker Committee

The Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise the Nenadi Usman–led caretaker committee as the party’s legitimate leadership.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that the leadership crisis within the Labour Party had already been conclusively resolved by the Supreme Court in its April 4, 2025 decision. The apex court had affirmed Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of Finance, as head of the party’s caretaker committee pending the conduct of a national convention.

Justice Lifu ruled that, in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment, INEC is legally bound to recognise the Nenadi Usman–led committee as the body authorised to act for and on behalf of the Labour Party. He said the court had no discretion to act otherwise.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, was filed by Usman against Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). In his ruling, the judge stated that evidence before the court showed that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired.
Justice Lifu dismissed Abure’s argument that the matter was an internal party dispute outside the court’s jurisdiction, noting that issues of leadership tenure are justiciable and had already been settled by the Supreme Court. He added that the appointment of a caretaker committee became inevitable following the apex court’s nullification of earlier judgments that supported Abure’s continued stay in office.

The Labour Party leadership crisis had earlier escalated when the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) removed Abure and set up a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by Nenadi Usman. The decision was taken at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State, hosted by Governor Alex Otti.
The meeting, which ratified Abure’s removal, was chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Abure later challenged his removal in court, insisting that he was duly elected and reaffirmed as national chairman at the party’s national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, in March 2024.

Although the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially ruled in Abure’s favour and directed INEC to recognise him, the Supreme Court overturned those decisions. The apex court upheld the appeal filed by Usman and the caretaker committee’s secretary, Darlington Nwokocha, warning political parties against breaching their constitutions and tenure provisions.

Wednesday’s ruling effectively ends Abure’s claim to the party’s leadership and clears the way for the Nenadi Usman–led caretaker committee to take full control of the Labour Party ahead of its next national convention.