Court ousts Julius Abure as Labour Party Chairman, orders INEC to recognise Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee

A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Julius Abure from his position as National Chairman of the Labour Party. In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu declared that Abure’s tenure has elapsed.

The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the party’s caretaker committee, chaired by Senator Nenadi Usman, as the sole valid authority to act for the Labour Party until a national convention is held.

This decision aligns with a prior Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership.

Justice Lifu dismissed Abure’s argument that the dispute was a non-justiciable internal party matter.

He stated that the caretaker committee’s establishment was a direct consequence of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Following the judgment, Usman’s lawyer, Innocent Adoo, stated that the court also instructed INEC to accept all correspondence from Usman as the legitimate chairman.

He added that the court warned against “forum-shopping,” referring to attempts to seek favourable rulings from different courts.

Senator Usman hailed the decision as a victory for the party and its supporters.

She extended an olive branch, calling for reconciliation among all members and stating, “there is no victor, no vanquished.”

Abure’s removal was initially ratified by the party’s National Executive Committee at a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and chaired by former presidential candidate Peter Obi.

That meeting had appointed the 29-member caretaker committee led by Usman.

Abure had subsequently gone to court to affirm his continued leadership.

This ruling follows an April 2025 Supreme Court decision that overturned a Court of Appeal judgment which had recognised Abure as chairman, ultimately upholding Usman’s appeal.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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