ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Senator Esther Nenadi Usman’s caretaker committee as the party’s valid national leadership pending a convention.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Wednesday, holding that evidence before the court showed Abure’s tenure had elapsed and that INEC should, for now, treat the Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the authentic authority to act for the LP.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Usman challenging Abure’s continued claim to the chairmanship amid a prolonged leadership dispute that has split party stakeholders and repeatedly spilled into litigation. In reporting on the case, Nigerian media said the suit listed Abure among the defendants and also referenced the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the proceedings.
The court anchored its decision on a Supreme Court verdict delivered on April 4, 2025, which it said established that Abure’s tenure had expired and reinforced the need for political parties to align internal leadership processes with their constitutions and guidelines.
The ruling is expected to shape immediate party administration—particularly in how the LP interfaces with INEC on nominations, official correspondence, and organisational decisions—while the party works toward convening a national convention to elect a substantive National Working Committee.
The case is the latest flashpoint in a crisis that has, over the past year, produced competing claims of authority within the LP and raised questions about which faction has legal standing to speak for the party in dealings with electoral authorities.
What happens next may depend on whether Abure’s camp pursues further legal options, and how quickly the Usman-led caretaker committee moves to stabilise party structures and prepare for a convention that could conclusively settle the leadership question.
