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Labour Party crisis: Federal High Court removes Julius Abure as LP National Chairman.
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Court order: INEC directed to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee.
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Supreme Court backing: Judgment anchored on April 4, 2025 apex court ruling.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee as the party’s authentic leadership.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu relied on the April 4, 2025 decision of the Supreme Court to affirm former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the valid leader of the Labour Party pending the conduct of a national convention.
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The court held that Abure’s tenure as LP national chairman had expired, dismissing his argument that the matter was an internal party affair not subject to judicial review. Justice Lifu ruled that the constitution of the caretaker committee was a necessary step arising from the Supreme Court’s directive.
Consequently, the court ordered INEC to immediately recognise the Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee as the only legitimate authority empowered to represent the Labour Party.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Senator Usman and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, in which both Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) were listed as defendants.
The court recalled that the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had earlier resolved to remove Abure following a protracted leadership crisis within the party.
A 29-member caretaker committee was subsequently constituted, with Senator Usman as chairman, at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia and hosted by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. The meeting was chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Abure had challenged his removal, insisting he was lawfully elected and had produced candidates for recent governorship elections.
While the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal initially ruled in his favour, those decisions were overturned by the Supreme Court.
In its lead judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court upheld the appeal filed by Senator Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, nullified Abure’s claims, and urged political parties to strictly adhere to their constitutions.
The Supreme Court further advised party officials whose tenures have expired to vacate office accordingly.
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