BREAKING: Court Removes Abure As Labour Party National Chairman, Orders INEC To Take Action

On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Peter Lifu relied on the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court ruling to recognise former Minister of Finance, Esther Nenadi Usman, as the legitimate leader of the party.

Justice Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the conduct of a national convention.

The ruling stemmed from a suit (THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025) filed by Usman, which also included Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as defendants. The court found that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired.

Rejecting Abure’s claim that the matter was an internal party issue and therefore non-justiciable, the court affirmed that the formation of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee was necessary following the Supreme Court’s directive.

The caretaker committee, comprising 29 members with Usman as chair, was constituted after the National Executive Committee resolved to remove Abure during an expanded stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, hosted by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Abure had earlier approached the Federal High Court seeking validation of his position, claiming he was lawfully elected acting chairman in 2021 and later became substantive chairman at the March 2024 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State. He also cited the party’s successful production of candidates for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections under his leadership.

Although the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially ruled in his favour, the Supreme Court ultimately overturned those decisions. In its lead judgment, Justice Inyang Okoro upheld Usman’s appeal and that of the Caretaker Committee Secretary, Darlington Nwokocha, while dismissing Abure’s cross-appeal.

The Supreme Court further emphasised that political parties must strictly adhere to their constitutions and rules, and officials whose tenures have expired are required to vacate office.