In a decisive legal blow to the Julius Abure faction, a Federal High Court in Abuja has formally removed him as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). Justice Peter Lifu, delivering the judgment on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, ruled that Abure’s tenure had effectively elapsed and that his continued stay in office was a violation of the party’s constitution.
The court subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognize the 29-member caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman as the only legitimate authority representing the party.
The judgment relies heavily on the 2025 Supreme Court position, which previously established that Nigerian courts lack the jurisdiction to interfere in a party’s choice of leaders once their internal organs have made a decision.
Justice Lifu noted that the constitution of the caretaker committee, initially formed during a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia hosted by Governor Alex Otti and Peter Obi, was a valid exercise of party supremacy. With this ruling, Senator Nenadi Usman is now empowered to manage the party’s affairs and oversee the conduct of a national convention to elect a permanent executive within the next 90 days.
The Abure faction, which has consistently dismissed the caretaker committee as “conflict entrepreneurs,” had argued that the matter was a non-justiciable internal affair. However, the court dismissed this contention, stating that INEC requires a verified leadership structure to process candidates for upcoming off-cycle elections.
Senator Usman, in a brief statement following the verdict, called for unity among “Obidients” and invited all aggrieved members to return to the fold as the party begins its grassroots restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While this ruling provides legal clarity, the Labour Party still faces internal friction from various sub-factions. To stabilize the party, the Usman-led committee has announced a “Reconciliation and National Healing” tour starting in February 2026. The committee also plans to update the party’s digital membership register to prevent future leadership voids.
As INEC prepares to update its portal to reflect Usman as the Acting Chairperson, the Labour Party moves one step closer to resolving a crisis that has fragmented its support base since the end of the 2023 electoral cycle.
. Justice Peter Lifu, delivering the judgment on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, ruled that Abure’s tenure had effectively elapsed and that his continued stay in office was a violation of the party's constitution.){kind=link}