Nigeria’s opposition Labour Party has been thrown deeper into internal crisis after Julius Abure, the party’s factional national chairman, rejected a fresh ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the electoral commission to recognise a rival caretaker leadership.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Abure dismissed the judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman, a faction aligned with Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
The statement, signed by Obiora Ifoh, factional national publicity secretary loyal to Abure, said the group would immediately challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, arguing that it contradicts an earlier Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership dispute.
Okay News reports that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court ruled that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired, and consequently ordered INEC to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee pending the conduct of a national convention.
Reacting, the Abure-led National Working Committee described the ruling as a misreading of the apex court’s decision delivered in April 2025, insisting that the judgment amounted to judicial interference in the internal affairs of the party.
“Although we are yet to see the Certified True Copy of the judgment to fully make a 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,” Abure said.
