By: Mandy Park
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed the removal of Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), ruling that his tenure has elapsed in line with an earlier judgement of the Supreme Court.
The court also upheld the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the only valid and lawful leadership of the party, and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise it accordingly.
The ruling was disclosed on Wednesday by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to Effiong, the presiding judge, Justice Lifu, in delivering judgement in the matter, reaffirmed that Abure’s continued claim to the chairmanship was inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s decision on the party’s leadership.
Effiong quoted the judge as declaring that the Senator Nenadi Esther Usman-led National Caretaker Committee remains the lawful leadership of the Labour Party, adding that INEC was ordered to accord it immediate recognition.
“I listened to a judgement delivered in another case,” Effiong wrote. “Honourable Justice Lifu has just upheld the Senator Nenadi Esther Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the only valid and lawful leadership of the Labour Party. The judge reaffirmed that, by the Supreme Court’s judgement, Julius Abure’s tenure had since elapsed and ordered INEC to recognise Nenadi Usman forthwith.”
