The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Julius Abure over the leadership of the Labour Party, affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s legitimate leader and imposing a N10 million cost on Abure for what it described as an abuse of court process. The ruling is the latest major judicial setback for Abure in the protracted crisis over control of the opposition party.
In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, the three-member appellate panel upheld the earlier decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which on January 21, 2026 recognised the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to accord it recognition. The appellate court agreed that the lower court acted within its powers in directing INEC, a federal agency, to perform its statutory duty.
The court also held that the Supreme Court had already settled the dispute in its April 4, 2025 judgment, which nullified the earlier appellate decision that recognised Abure as Labour Party national chairman. That apex court ruling found that questions relating to party leadership were internal affairs and that Abure’s tenure had elapsed, effectively ending his claim to the chairmanship. According to the Court of Appeal, that decision left no room for further litigation over the same issue.
In affirming the Federal High Court’s ruling, the Appeal Court further upheld the constitution of the caretaker committee headed by Usman, describing it as a product of necessity in the face of a leadership vacuum within the party. The justices were particularly critical of Abure’s continued insistence on laying claim to the party leadership despite clear judicial pronouncements to the contrary. They also faulted him for pursuing parallel litigation at a Nasarawa State High Court on a matter already determined by the Supreme Court, describing the move as forum shopping and a waste of judicial time.
Reacting to the verdict, Usman described the judgment as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, saying it reaffirmed the judiciary’s resolve to defend justice and institutional integrity. But the crisis may not be over yet. Abure has rejected the decision and said his legal team will challenge it at the Supreme Court, suggesting that the internal battle for the soul of the Labour Party is likely to continue despite the Appeal Court’s emphatic ruling.
