The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In delivering his judgement, Justice Peter Lifu invoked the Supreme Court’s decision of April 4, 2025, to affirm former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the legitimate leader of the Labour Party.
The court subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Usman as the sole lawful body authorised to act on behalf of the Labour Party, pending the conduct of the party’s next national convention.
The ruling stemmed from a suit instituted by Usman, marked THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, in which Julius Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) were listed as defendants.
Justice Lifu held that the materials before the court clearly established that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had already lapsed. He rejected Abure’s argument that the dispute was purely an internal party matter, instead holding that the formation of a Caretaker Committee was “necessary” and in line with the directives earlier issued by the Supreme Court.
The judgement followed a prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party. Prior to the court’s decision, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had removed Abure from office and set up a 29-member Caretaker Committee, appointing Senator Usman as its chairperson. This decision was later ratified at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting convened in Umuahia by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
Notably, the meeting that endorsed Abure’s removal was presided over by his former ally and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi.
After his removal, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking judicial affirmation of his position as National Chairman. In an affidavit filed in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, he claimed that he was validly elected Acting National Chairman at a NEC meeting held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.
He further contended that during another NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on April 18, 2023, the party renewed the tenures of state chairmen whose terms had expired and filled vacant offices arising from the expulsion of members accused of anti-party activities.
Abure also maintained that, following a consensus reached within the NEC, the Labour Party held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he emerged as the duly elected National Chairman. He added that under his leadership, the party successfully fielded governorship candidates in Edo and Ondo states.
Although both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially ruled in Abure’s favour and directed INEC to recognise him as National Chairman, those judgements were later overturned by the Supreme Court.
In its lead judgement authored by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court upheld the appeal filed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha. The court also dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal, admonishing political parties to strictly observe their constitutions and internal guidelines in appointing officers, and directing party officials whose tenures have expired to step aside.