The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
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In a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court relied on the April 4, 2025, verdict of the Supreme Court to declare a former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the valid leader of the party.
Consequently, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forthwith recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending when the party convenes a national convention.
The judgment followed a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, which the former minister lodged before the court.
Aside from Abure, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) was also cited as a defendant in the matter.
Justice Lifu held that evidence before him established that Abure’s tenure as the National Chairman of the LP had elapsed.
While dismissing Abure’s contention that the matter was an internal affair of a political party and therefore non-justiciable, the court held that the setting up of the LP Caretaker Committee was “a necessity” arising from the Supreme Court’s order.
It will be recalled that following a leadership crisis that rocked the LP, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party resolved to remove Abure as National Chairman.
To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member Caretaker Committee, with the former Finance Minister, Usman, as Chairman.
The decision was the outcome of an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party hosted in Umuahia by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
The meeting at which Abure was removed from office was chaired by his former ally and the party’s 2023 presidential election candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to validate his position as National Chairman of the party.
In an affidavit he personally deposed to in support of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, Abure told the court that following the death of the National Chairman of the LP, he was lawfully elected Acting National Chairman of the party at a National Executive Council meeting held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.
He told the court that on April 18, 2023, at a NEC meeting of the party held in Asaba, Delta State, and monitored by INEC, it was resolved that the tenures of State Chairmen whose terms had expired be renewed.
He said it was at the same meeting that some members engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements made for vacant positions created by the expulsions.
Abure averred that in line with a consensus reached at the meeting, the party subsequently held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was lawfully elected National Chairman of the LP.
He said the party under his leadership produced candidates for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
While both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal upheld Abure’s case and ordered INEC to recognise him, he was later dislodged by the Supreme Court, which nullified the concurrent decisions of the two lower courts.
In its lead judgment prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, respectively.
The Supreme Court also dismissed a cross-appeal filed by Abure and enjoined political parties to always abide by their own rules in the appointment of officers.
It further implored officials of political parties whose tenures have elapsed to vacate their positions.
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