The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a ruling delivered Wednesday, the judge, Peter Lifu, cited the Supreme Court verdict of 4 April 2025 to declare former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, as the valid leader of the party.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Ms Usman-led caretaker committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the party’s national convention.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Ms Usman, suing Mr Abure, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), INEC and others as defendants.
Mr Lifu held that evidence before the court showed Mr Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed.
While dismissing his claim that the matter was an internal party issue that was not justiciable, the judge said the establishment of the LP caretaker committee was “a necessity” arising from the Supreme Court order.
The leadership crisis in the LP had earlier led the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to remove Mr Abure. To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by Ms Usman.
The committee was formed following an expanded stakeholders’ meeting hosted in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, by Governor Alex Otti. The meeting, where Mr Abure was removed, was chaired by his former ally and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
(Premium Times )
