A Federal High Court in Abuja has voided Julius Abure’s claim to be the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment on Wednesday, relied on the April 4, 2025, decision of the Supreme Court and declared that a former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, is the valid leader of the party.
Justice Lifu then ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forthwith recognize the Usman-led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending when the party convenes a national convention.
The judgment was on a suit marked: THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, filed by Usman, which has Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as defendants.
Justice Lifu held that the evidence before him showed that Abure’s tenure, as LP’s National Chairman, had since expired.
The judge rejected Abure’s contention that the subject of the suit related to the internal affairs of the LP as a political party, which are ordinarily non-justiciable.
Justice Lifu held that the setting up of the Caretaker Committee of the LP, headed by Usman, was “a necessity” that arose from the order of the Supreme Court.
Recall that following a leadership crisis in the LP, its 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 where Abure was sacked from office was chaired by his former ally and candidate of the party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi.
Unhappy with the decision, Abure filed a suit before 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 the 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 recognize him, the Supreme Court 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.
