Again, Court Sacks Abure, Orders INEC To Recognize Usman As LP National Chair

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday January 21,2026, affirmed the sack of Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP.

The court presided over by Hon Justice Peter Lifu ,also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to immediately recognize  the Senator Easter Nenadi Usman-led Interim National Working Committee, NWC, as the authentic national leadership of the beleaguered LP, pending the conduct of a national convention.

The court, while ruling on a motion on notice brought before it on the festering leadership squabble within the party,  reaffirmed Supreme Court’s earlier verdict which had ruled  that the Abure-led NWC, prior to the controversial 2024 Nnewi National Convention, had elapsed.

In the Judgment delivered on April 4,2025, the country’s apex court also held that the issue of leadership remains the internal affair of the political parties concerned.

Subsequently, Justice Lifu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to henceforth seize the recognition of Abure as the National Chairman of the LP.

The court ruling was contained in a post on the  official site of  leading human rights advocate and lawyer Inibehe Effiong ,who noted that he was  present during the delivery of the judgment on Wednesday .

” I am currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja for a case. I listened to the judgment in another case.

“Honourable Justice Lifu has just upheld Senator Nenadi Easter Usman-led National Caretaker Committee as the only valid and lawful leadership of the Labour Party

“The Judge reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s judgment- that the tenure of Julius Abure as National Chairman has since elapsed.

“The Judge ordered INEC to recognize Nenadi Usman forthwith”, Effiong wrote .

The Source further reports that the INEC, a couple of weeks ago, had, in refusing to grant the Abure-led NWC access code for the purpose of uploaded LP candidates for the Feb ,2026 Abuja Council polls ,also insisted that its tenure had long expired .

The Electoral umpire maintained that it will no longer recognize Abure as the LP National Chairman except otherwise directed by Courts of competent jurisdiction in the course of determining  a plethora of court actions instituted by the factional Abure-led NWC against it.