The leadership crisis in the Labour Party deepened after National Chairman Julius Abure rejected a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that ordered INEC to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee, aligned with Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
Abure’s position was conveyed through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who stated on Wednesday, January 21, that the party would challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, describing it as a misinterpretation of the April 2025 Supreme Court decision on the party’s leadership.
The statement, titled ‘Nenadi: Labour Party to appeal judgment,’ insisted that the court had intruded into internal party affairs.
The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, held that Abure’s tenure had expired and directed INEC to recognise the caretaker committee headed by Senator Nenadi Usman until a national convention is conducted.
Reacting, Abure’s faction alleged irregularities in the handling of the case, noting reassignment from another judge and the denial of opportunity to respond to counter-affidavits.
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“Before today’s judgment, we have been suspecting that it may go this way because of the body language around the court… Secondly, the court refused us the opportunity to respond to issues raised in the counter-affidavit filed by other parties and quickly adjourned for judgment,” the statement read.
The Abure-led leadership also argued that the ruling contradicted Supreme Court guidance, which stated that courts lack jurisdiction to appoint political party leaders.
“To us, that was a clear contradiction of what the Supreme Court said. Secondly, the Supreme Court said that all matters that have to do with the leadership of the political party are internal affairs of the party,” the statement added.
The dispute stems from a National Executive Committee meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, chaired by Governor Otti and Peter Obi, which removed Abure and constituted a 29-member caretaker committee led by Senator Usman.
The Federal High Court ruling now directs INEC to recognise this committee until a national convention is held.
The Abure faction urged members to remain calm and affirmed that they would exhaust all legal avenues to reclaim their leadership, stressing that “the party is not for sale and no amount of financial power will make us abdicate our leadership position in the party.”