The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday declared that Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of the Labour Party after a legal challenge over the leadership position. The court ruling revoked Abure’s chairmanship and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the caretaker committee led by former Finance Minister Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as the legitimate authority of the party until a proper national convention is convened.
The court’s decision followed a suit filed under case number THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025 by Usman, seeking judicial clarification of the leadership dispute within the party. The judge said the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling was a key basis for determining that Abure’s tenure had already ended and that the caretaker committee should now serve as the recognised leadership structure.
The leadership crisis in the Labour Party began after internal unrest over Abure’s position as National Chairman. Abure had taken on the role following the death of the previous party chairman, and he asserted that he was duly elected in a National Executive Council meeting held in Benin City in March 2021. He also claimed that a subsequent NEC meeting in Asaba in April 2023 renewed tenures for certain party officials, including himself.
At earlier lower court levels, Abure had seen mixed success in defending his position. The Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal once upheld rulings in his favour, supporting his claim as party chairman. However, the Supreme Court later overturned those decisions in March 2025, restoring Usman’s claim as leader and dismissing Abure’s cross‑appeal.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, disagreements persisted within the Labour Party at its national secretariat, with different factions claiming authority. In response to the uncertainty, the party’s National Executive Committee had earlier created a 29‑member caretaker committee chaired by Usman after an expanded stakeholders meeting organised by supporters and key party figures.
Usman’s legal challenge aimed to have the Federal High Court enforce the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment. After the case was amended and adjourned in late 2025, the matter came up for hearing on January 20, 2026. On Wednesday, with the fresh ruling, the court confirmed that Abure’s leadership claim was no longer valid and that the caretaker committee led by Usman should be recognised by INEC.
The judgement also instructed INEC to acknowledge the Nenadi Usman‑led leadership as the official Labour Party authority, pending a national convention that would settle the party’s leadership question permanently. The court’s ruling closes a chapter in the party’s leadership dispute and sets the stage for the caretaker committee to steer the party toward its next organisational convention.
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