The Federal High Court in Abuja has definitively removed Julius Abure from his position as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). Justice Peter Lifu, delivering the judgment on Wednesday, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise the caretaker leadership of the party, headed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of Finance.

Justice Lifu based his decision on the Supreme Court ruling of April 4, 2025, which had affirmed Usman as head of the party’s caretaker committee. According to the court, this verdict conclusively settled the leadership dispute, placing a legal obligation on INEC to acknowledge the Usman-led committee until the next national convention.

The ruling followed a suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025) filed by Senator Usman, naming Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as defendants. Justice Lifu highlighted that Abure’s tenure had expired and dismissed his claim that leadership disputes are purely internal party matters beyond judicial scrutiny.

The caretaker committee itself was formed after the Supreme Court invalidated earlier judgments that had supported Abure’s continued stay in office. The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had previously resolved to remove Abure, establishing a 29-member caretaker committee led by Usman during a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, chaired by 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Abure has consistently challenged his removal, asserting election at the party’s national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, on March 27, 2024, and claiming subsequent NEC approvals for tenure renewals. Despite prior rulings in his favor from the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court ultimately overturned these decisions, with Justice Inyang Okoro affirming Usman’s leadership and cautioning political parties to respect constitutional tenure limits.

The Abure-led faction has vowed to appeal the latest Federal High Court ruling. Obiora Ifoh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, argued that the judgment misinterpreted the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 decision, maintaining that internal party leadership disputes fall outside judicial authority. The faction also alleged bias in the court process, claiming they were denied the opportunity to respond to counter-affidavits.

Wednesday’s ruling officially clears the path for the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee to manage the Labour Party’s affairs ahead of its next national convention, though the legal battle is expected to continue in higher courts.