A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the Nenadi Usman-led national caretaker committee of the Labour Party (LP) is the authentic leadership of the party.
Delivering judgement on Wednesday, Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Usman-led faction of the party.
The judge reaffirmed the decision of the Supreme Court, which set aside an earlier judgement of the Court of Appeal on the leadership dispute.
Lifu held that evidence before the court showed that the tenure of Julius Abure, the national chairman of the LP, had elapsed.
The suit was filed by Usman, a former minister of finance, with Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) listed as defendants.
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The Labour Party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since 2023, with two factions, Abure’s group and the Usman-led caretaker committee, laying claim to the party’s leadership.
Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, was aligned with the Usman faction. However, Obi recently joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has been adopted by opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Background
In April 2023, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court restrained Abure from parading himself as the national chairman of the LP.
Following the order, Lamidi Apapa, who was then the deputy national chairman, assumed leadership of the party.
The restraining order was later set aside by the Court of Appeal.
In March 2024, Abure was re-elected as national chairman at the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
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However, INEC declined to recognise the convention, stating that it did not monitor the exercise.
In September 2024, Usman was appointed chairperson of a 29-member caretaker committee after Alex Otti, governor of Abia State, convened a stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Umuahia.
On October 8, 2024, the Federal High Court affirmed the Abure-led leadership and the Nnewi convention that produced the party’s executives.
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Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, ordered INEC to recognise Abure as the legitimate national chairman.
On January 17, 2025, the Court of Appeal ruled that its November 2024 decision recognising Abure as chairman remained valid.
However, in April 2025, the Supreme Court set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal, ruling that Abure’s tenure as national chairman of the Labour Party had elapsed.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
