Court sacks Abure, orders INEC to recognise Nenadi Usman as Labour Party chair

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, as the valid leader of the Labour Party (LP).

The presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, gave the directive via a judgement delivered on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Justice Lifu said the court relied on the April 4, 2025, verdict of the Supreme Court to uphold Usman’s leadership and removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

The judge ordered INEC to forthwith recognise the Usman–led caretaker committee as the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party, pending the conduct of a national convention.

Justice Lifu said the evidence before the court established that Abure’s tenure as the national chairman of the party had elapsed and they could not leave a leadership vacuum in the party.

While rejecting Abure’s contention that the dispute was an internal party affair and therefore non-justiciable, the judge held that the constitution of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee was a necessity flowing from the decision of the Supreme Court.

The judge added that all the questions asked by Usman were answered in her favour.

Ogun govt stops Awujale selection process over rising security concerns

According to him, answering them otherwise would amount to judicial rascality and judicial insubordination and he could not go against the decision of the apex court.

He consequently affirmed the removal of Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party and ordered INEC to recognise the Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the party’s lawful leadership.

The judgement was sequel to a suit filed by Usman marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025.

Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) were listed as defendants in the matter.

The LP National Executive Committee (NEC) had removed Abure as the national chairman, following a leadership crisis in the party.

To address the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with Usman as chairman.

The decision was taken at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party held in Umuahia and hosted by Abia State Governor Alex Otti.

The meeting at which Abure was removed from office was chaired by his former ally and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi.

Dissatisfied with the decision, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to validate his position as the national chairman of the Labour Party.

The Star