LP Crisis: Court Orders INEC To Recognise Nenadi Usman-Led Exco

ABUJA – Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the Indepen­dent National Electoral Commis­sion (INEC) to accord recognition to Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as the authentic national chair­man of the Labour Party (LP).

Consequently, the court or­dered the removal of Julius Abu­re as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Delivering judgment in the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/ CS/2262/2025, filed by the former Minister of Finance, Justice Lifu, held that the court relied on the April 4, 2025, pronouncement of the Supreme Court that declared her (Nenadi) as caretaker chair­man of LP.

Aside Abure, the Nigeria La­bour Congress (NLC) was sued as defendant in the matter.

The court ordered INEC to im­mediately recognise the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as “the only valid authority to rep­resent the Labour Party,” pending when the party convenes its na­tional convention.

Justice Lifu dismissed Abure’s contention that the matter was an internal affair of a political party, while holding that the setting up of the LP Caretaker Committee was “a necessity” that arose from the Supreme Court’s order.

According to Justice Lifu, ev­idence before him showed that Abure’s tenure as the national chairman of the LP had since ended.

Recall that a leadership crisis that engulfed the LP, made the National Executive Committee of the party to resolve to remove Abure as the national chairman.

To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-mem­ber caretaker committee, with the former Finance Minister, Usman, as Chairman.

The resolution was the out­come of an expanded stakehold­ers’ meeting of the party that was hosted in Umuahia by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.

It was at the meeting that Abu­re was sacked from office.

The meeting was chaired by his former ally and the party’s 2023 presidential election candi­date, Mr. Peter Obi.

Not happy with the decision, Abure headed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek redress.

He had informed the court that the NEC meeting of the par­ty held on April 18, 2023, at Asaba, Delta State, and duly monitored by INEC, resolved that tenures of state chairmen whose tenures had expired be renewed.

In an affidavit he person­ally deposed to in support of the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/ CS/1271/2024, Abure told the court that following the death of the national chairman of the LP, he was lawfully elected as the acting national chairman at a Na­tional Executive Council meeting of the party held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.

However, Abure has declared that he would challenge his sack as the national chairman.

A statement issued on Wednes­day by Obiora Ifoh, National Pub­licity Secretary of the Abure’s group of the LP, alleged that the Federal High Court “misinter­preted the April 4, 2025 verdict of the Supreme Court to declare a former Minister of Finance, and a non-registered member of the Labour Party, Esther Nenadi Us­man, as the caretaker chairman of the party which is alien to the Labour Party constitution.”

The group said it is happy that the Federal High Court of the FCT is not the last court, and that the party will go on appeal and put its position before the Court of Appeal.

According to the party’s spokesperson, “Although we are yet to see the Certified True Copy of the judgment in order to fully make comment about it, our po­sition will become stronger when we see the CTC of the judgment. But generally, from the brief we have gotten so far, it is clear that the party will appeal the judg­ment.

“Before today’s judgment, we have been suspecting that it may go this way because of the body language around the court. When the matter was first filed, it was assigned to Justice Omo­tosho and suddenly, there was a summersault, as another matter was filed which was in pari mate­ria and the one sent to Omotosho was withdrawn and now sent to Justice Peter Lifu. That was a red flag for us.

“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. That was the second red flag.

“Our adversaries were all over the places, jubilating weeks before, over a judgment that has not been delivered, telling every­one that they have already won. The jubilation by our adversar­ies was all over the social media, that come today the judiciary will hand over the party to Dr. Alex Otti.

“Now coming to look at the judgment itself, Nigerians should remember that the Court of Ap­peal pronounced Julius Abure’s National Working Committee as the authentic leadership of the party.

“That pronouncement was what Nenadi Usman took to the Supreme Court to say that the courts (Federal High Court and Appeal Court) were wrong to have pronounced somebody as the chairman of the party.

“Ironically, today, a Federal High Court has somersaulted and pronounced somebody as the Caretaker National Chairman of a party. So what is the judiciary turning into?

“To us, that was a clear con­tradiction against 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 and that has been the position of the Supreme Court.

“The courts have severely declined jurisdiction on matters that have to do with internal affairs of political parties. Look­ing at the judgment itself, in one breath, the court said the caretak­er committee was properly set up, in another breath, the court said, it was an internal affair of a polit­ical party. In any event, the court was even wrong to be interpret­ing the decision of the Supreme Court.

“Secondly, even the Supreme Court never said that our tenure has expired. The Supreme Court simply declined jurisdiction in entertaining the matter because it was an internal affairs of the party.”

Reacting to the decision of the Federal High Court, Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser, Media, to Senator Nenadi Us­man, said the camp received the judgment with profound joy and relief.

His statement reads, “The Labour Party has received with profound joy and relief the judg­ment of the Federal High Court, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately recognise Senator Nenadi Usman’s leader­ship as the only valid, authentic, and legitimate leadership of the Labour Party.

“The party notes that today’s judgment represents a victory for democracy, for the Labour Party, and for the Nigerian people, and not a personal victory for Senator Nenadi Usman nor for any indi­vidual officer of the party.

“Although the journey to this point was protracted, difficult, and at times turbulent, the La­bour Party urges its members and supporters not to celebrate with triumphalism.

“Rather, this moment should be embraced as a solemn oppor­tunity for genuine reconciliation. For us, it is a no victor, no van­quished moment. Let it be clear­ly stated: there is only one united and indivisible Labour Party in Nigeria. This judgment must mark a new beginning anchored on unity, healing, and collective progress.

“Accordingly, the Labour Par­ty calls on all members who may feel aggrieved by the current state of affairs – including those against whom today’s judgment was delivered – to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue in the supreme interest of the party.

“The party extends an olive branch to all contending ten­dencies within its fold. We sue for peace, plead for dialogue, and seek sincere reconciliation. There is enormous work ahead in rebuilding the Labour Party into a strong, credible, and virile oppo­sition platform in Nigeria, a task that can only be accomplished in an atmosphere of unity, cohesion, and mutual respect.

“In furtherance of this com­mitment to peace and reconcilia­tion, the party shall immediately constitute a Truce and Reconcili­ation Committee mandated to en­gage all aggrieved members and restore lasting harmony within the party.

“Furthermore, as a law-abid­ing institution and a major stake­holder in Nigeria’s democratic process, the Labour Party calls on INEC to end all unnecessary dis­tractions by fully complying with today’s judgment and according Senator Nenadi Usman’s leader­ship the formal recognition clear­ly and unambiguously directed by the court.

“Finally, the Labour Party con­gratulates its supporters across the nation for their resilience, steadfastness, and unwavering faith in truth and justice, even at moments when hope appeared lost.

“We also commend our team of lawyers for their professional­ism and diligence, and express our gratitude to the judiciary for once again standing firm as the last hope of the common man.”