The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has removed Mr Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), bringing an end to his leadership of the opposition party and affirming former Minister of Finance, Ms Nenadi Usman, as its legitimate head. In its ruling delivered on Wednesday, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to formally recognise Usman as the lawful leader of the party.

Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the matter, anchored his decision on the April 4, 2025 judgment of the Supreme Court, which validated the Labour Party’s caretaker leadership structure. The apex court had upheld the establishment of a caretaker committee and confirmed Ms Usman’s role as its chair, pending the conduct of a national convention to elect substantive officers.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu directed INEC to immediately accord recognition to the Nenadi Usman–led National Caretaker Committee as the only body authorised to act on behalf of the Labour Party. He stressed that the directive would remain in force until the party convenes a national convention in line with its constitution.

Nenadi Usman and Julius Abure

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, was instituted by Ms Usman, who named Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as defendants. The case arose from the lingering leadership tussle that has plagued the party following disagreements over the expiration of Abure’s tenure and the legitimacy of the caretaker arrangement.

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Justice Lifu ruled that the materials placed before the court clearly showed that Mr Abure’s tenure as National Chairman had elapsed. He held that the Labour Party could not be allowed to drift without leadership and that the caretaker committee was lawfully constituted to fill the vacuum created by the leadership crisis.

The court dismissed Mr Abure’s contention that the dispute was purely an internal party matter and therefore outside the court’s jurisdiction. According to the judge, the issues raised were justiciable, particularly as they bordered on compliance with a binding Supreme Court decision. He noted that the caretaker committee emerged directly from the apex court’s ruling and could not be treated as an illegal or informal arrangement.

Justice Lifu further held that all the reliefs sought by Usman were meritorious and had been successfully established. He warned that any contrary decision would amount to an act of judicial insubordination to the Supreme Court, whose pronouncements are final and binding on all courts and authorities in Nigeria.

Consequently, the court affirmed the removal of Abure as National Chairman and reiterated its order compelling INEC to recognise the Usman-led caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party.

The court also recalled the circumstances that led to the caretaker arrangement. Following months of internal crisis, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to remove Abure and constitute a 29-member caretaker committee to stabilise the party. The committee was chaired by Ms Usman and mandated to oversee the party’s affairs until a national convention is held.

That decision was taken at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, which was hosted by Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Mr Abure had consistently challenged his removal, maintaining that he was duly elected as National Chairman after previously serving as Acting Chairman following the death of the party’s former leader. Although both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially ruled in his favour, those judgments were later set aside by the Supreme Court, ultimately clearing the way for Wednesday’s ruling.

Meanwhile, the Julius Abure led faction of the Labour Party said it would immediately appeal the judgement. Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiorah Ifof, said the court had misinterpreted the April 4, 2025 verdict of the Supreme Court, describing Usman as a non registered member of the Labour Party,