The leadership dispute in the Labour Party deepened on Wednesday as National Chairman Julius Abure rejected a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman.
Abure’s faction said it would appeal the ruling at the Court of Appeal, claiming the judgment went against the April 2025 Supreme Court decision on the party’s leadership. The court had earlier determined that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had ended, and it directed INEC to recognise the caretaker committee formed by the party’s National Executive Committee until a national convention is held.
The Abure-led committee argued that the court’s decision was an intrusion into internal party matters and said it had not been given a full opportunity to respond to all issues before the judgment was delivered. They also raised concerns about procedural irregularities in how the case was handled, including the reassignment of the case to a different judge shortly before the ruling.
The faction questioned the court’s conclusion that a leadership vacuum existed, insisting the national convention held in March 2024 created a valid executive that was set to serve until June 2024. They also noted that the Supreme Court previously ruled that courts lack the authority to appoint leadership for political parties.
The dispute began after an expanded Labour Party stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, convened by Governor Alex Otti and chaired by former presidential candidate Peter Obi. The meeting resolved to remove Abure as chairman and formed a 29-member caretaker committee with Usman as chairperson.
Abure’s group maintains that the caretaker committee is not the rightful leadership and is committed to using all legal channels to restore its authority. They called on party members to remain calm as the appeal process begins.