Court Orders INEC to Recognise Nenadi Usman-Led Labour Party, Sacks Abure

A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman’s Caretaker Committee as the valid leadership of the Labour Party, effectively removing Mr. Julius Abure as National Chairman. The ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, follows the Supreme Court’s April 2025 judgment affirming Usman as the legitimate leader of the party.

The decision arose from a leadership crisis in the Labour Party, where Abure was previously sacked by the National Executive Committee, and a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by Usman was constituted to fill the leadership vacuum. Abure had challenged his removal in court, initially winning at the High Court and Court of Appeal, but the Supreme Court ultimately nullified those rulings, emphasizing that party officials whose tenures have expired must vacate their positions and that parties must follow their own rules in appointing officers.

Written by Adeyemi Adewale