The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the legitimate leader of the Labour Party, effectively removing Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman.
In a judgement delivered on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that the tenure of Abure had expired and that the evidence before the court supported the leadership of the Usman-led National Caretaker Committee.
The court relied on the April 4, 2025, decision of the Supreme Court to declare Usman as the valid head of the party’s leadership structure pending the conduct of a national convention.
Justice Lifu also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the only lawful authority representing the Labour Party.
The judgement followed a suit instituted by Senator Usman, with Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress listed as defendants in the matter.
In dismissing Abure’s argument that the dispute was an internal party affair and therefore non-justiciable, the court ruled that the establishment of the caretaker committee was a necessary step arising from the Supreme Court’s directive.
The ruling is expected to have significant implications for the leadership structure and future activities of the Labour Party ahead of forthcoming political engagements.
