Abuja Federal High Court under Justice Peter Lifu has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the lawful leadership of the Labour Party (LP).
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu relied on the April 4, 2025 decision of the Supreme Court to affirm Senator Usman, a former Minister of Finance, as the legitimate head of the party’s caretaker committee pending the conduct of a national convention. The court thereby directed INEC to “forthwith recognise the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party”.
The Judge held that the evidence before the court showed that Julius Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed, dismissing his argument that the dispute was an internal party matter and therefore non-justiciable. According to the court, the constitution of the caretaker committee was a “necessity” arising from the directive of the Supreme Court.
Abure had earlier approached the Federal High Court seeking to validate his position as national chairman following his removal. While both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal initially upheld Abure’s claims and ordered INEC to recognise him, the Supreme Court later overturned the decisions. In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by Senator Usman and the secretary of the caretaker committee, Hon Darlington Nwokocha, and dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal. The Supreme Court also admonished political parties to adhere strictly to their constitutions in the appointment of officers, urging party officials whose tenures had expired to vacate office when due.
