Federal High Court orders INEC to recognise Nenadi Usman–led caretaker committee as Labour Party leadership pending national convention.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), affirming the Nenadi Usman–led caretaker committee as the legitimate leadership of the party.
In its judgment, the court ruled that Abure’s tenure had expired and that he no longer had the legal authority to act as the party’s national chairman. The court subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the caretaker committee headed by former senator Nenadi Usman as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party.
The ruling follows a prolonged leadership crisis that has divided the Labour Party into rival factions, each laying claim to the party’s national leadership. The court relied on an earlier Supreme Court decision which nullified judgments that previously recognised Abure’s leadership, stating that any action taken outside a valid national convention was unlawful.
Justice Peter Lifu held that the Nenadi Usman–led caretaker committee is mandated to manage the affairs of the party pending the conduct of a properly constituted national convention in line with the party’s constitution.
The judgment is expected to reshape internal party dynamics and has major political implications for the Labour Party as it seeks to stabilise its structure and reposition itself ahead of future electoral contests.
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