Court Sacks Abure, Recognises Esther Nenadi Leadership of Labour Party

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). 

Lifu based his action on the apex court judgment delivered on April 4, 2025, which held that Abure ought not to remain in office after the expiration of his tenure.

Besides, he held that the evidence before the court established that Abure’s tenure as the national chairman of the LP had since elapsed. 

Delivering judgment in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, the court observed that the apex court had declared the Caretaker Committee of the party led by former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the valid leadership of the Labour Party. 

Having so declared, Justice Lifu went ahead to make an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forthwith, recognize 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 caretaker committee had dragged Abure and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to court over leadership tussle in the Labour Party.

In arriving at the decision to sack Abure, the court noted that contrary to Abure’s submission, the issue before it was not an internal affair of a political party that is non-justiceable, adding that, the setting up of the LP Caretaker Committee was “a necessity” that arose from the order of the Supreme Court. 

Following a leadership crisis that rocked the LP, the National Executive Committee, (NEC) of the party resolved to remove Abure as the national chairman.

The party subsequently 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, 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.

Abure, in the affidavit he personally deposed to in support of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, had argued 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.

Abure stated further 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 the tenure of state chairmen, whose tenure had expired, be renewed.

He said it was at the same meeting that some members that were engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements for vacant positions created as a result of the expulsion were carried out.

The sacked national chairman submitted 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 he 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 recognize him, he was however sacked by the Supreme Court which nullified the concurrent decisions of the two lower courts.

In its lead judgment 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, and admonished political parties to always abide by their own rules in the appointment of its officers.

It further implored officials of political parties whose tenures have elapsed to learn to vacate their positions.