The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a judgement that was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the high 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 judgement followed a suit marked: THC/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 since elapsed.
While dismissing Abure’s contention that the matter was an internal affair of a political party, which is non-justiciable, the court held that the setting up of the LP Caretaker Committee was “a necessity” that arose 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 the 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 that was hosted in Umuahia by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
The meeting at which Abure was sacked 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 the 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 as the Acting National Chairman of the party at a National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party that held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.
He told the court that on April 18, 2023, at the NEC meeting of the party held in Asaba, Delta State and duly monitored by INEC, it was resolved that tenures of State Chairmen whose tenures had expired be renewed.
He said it was at the same meeting that some members who were engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements for vacant positions created as a result of the expulsion were made.
Abure averred that in line with a consensus that was reached at the meeting, the party subsequently held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, at Nnewi, Anambra State, where we was lawfully elected to the office of National Chairman of the LP.
He said the party under his leadership produced candidates for governorship elections in both Edo and Ondo states.
While both the high court and the court of appeal upheld Abure’s case and ordered INEC to recognise him, he was however dislodged by the Supreme Court which nullified the concurrent decisions of the two lower courts
In its lead judgement that was prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court allowed the appeal that was filed by Chairman and Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, respectively.
The Supreme Court equally dismissed a cross-appeal that was filed by Abure, even as it enjoined political parties to always abide by their own rules in the appointment of their officers.
It further implored officials of political parties whose tenures have elapsed to learn to vacate their positions.
