The leadership crisis within the Labour Party further escalated on Wednesday as the faction led by the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, rejected the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee aligned with Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
Abure, in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, announced plans to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the judgment conflicted with the April 2025 decision of the Supreme Court on the party’s leadership dispute.
The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had ruled that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed and consequently ordered INEC to recognise the caretaker committee headed by Senator Nenadi Usman pending the conduct of the party’s national convention.
Reacting to the ruling, the Abure-led National Working Committee described the decision as a misinterpretation of the Supreme Court’s judgment and an intrusion into the internal affairs of the Labour Party.
Although the party said it was yet to obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment, it maintained that the decision would be challenged.
“From the information available to us so far, it is clear that the party will appeal the judgment. Our position will become even clearer once we study the Certified True Copy,” the statement said.
The Abure faction alleged that the handling of the case was marred by procedural irregularities, claiming that developments surrounding the assignment of the case raised concerns even before judgment was delivered.
According to the statement, the matter was initially assigned to another judge before it was reassigned under circumstances the party described as questionable, which it said constituted an early warning sign.
The party further alleged that it was denied fair hearing, claiming the court refused to allow it respond to issues raised in a counter-affidavit before adjourning the matter for judgment.
It also accused its opponents of pre-empting the outcome of the case, alleging that celebrations over the ruling began weeks before judgment was delivered.
Questioning the substance of the ruling, the
Abure-led leadership argued that the court’s decision contradicted established judicial precedents and the Supreme Court’s position that courts lack the power to appoint or impose leadership on political parties.
The statement recalled that the Supreme Court had earlier declined jurisdiction in the leadership tussle, holding that such matters were internal affairs of political parties.
“The Supreme Court never declared that our tenure had expired. It simply held that leadership issues within a political party are internal matters beyond the jurisdiction of the courts,” the statement said.
Defending the party’s March 2024 national convention, the leadership insisted that no leadership vacuum existed, noting that the convention was held before the expiration of the executive’s tenure.
It faulted the court’s conclusion that a vacuum had been created, arguing that the validity and legality of the convention were not properly interrogated.
While urging party members to remain calm, the Abure faction said it would exhaust all legal options to reclaim its position, stressing that it would not relinquish leadership under pressure.
On Wednesday, Justice Lifu ordered INEC to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee pending the conduct of a national convention, holding that Abure’s tenure had elapsed.
The court ruled that the caretaker committee constituted by the party’s National Executive Committee was the only valid authority to act for and represent the Labour Party, relying on what it described as the subsisting position of the Supreme Court.
The dispute followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the Labour Party held in Umuahia, Abia State, hosted by Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, where the National Executive Committee resolved to remove Abure as national chairman.
Subsequently, a 29-member caretaker committee was constituted, with Senator Nenadi Usman appointed as chairperson.
Abure later approached the Federal High Court seeking judicial affirmation of his continued stay in office.
In April 2025, the Supreme Court set aside an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that recognised Abure as national chairman, ruling that appellate courts lacked jurisdiction to determine the leadership of a political party.
