𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢 𝐔𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐋𝐏 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has dismissed the appeal filed by Barr. Julius Abure challenging the leadership of the Labour Party, affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the legitimate National Chair of the party.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Tuesday by a three-member panel of Justices, the appellate court upheld the earlier decision of the Federal High Court, which had recognised the Usman-led caretaker committee as the lawful leadership of the Labour Party.

The lead judgment was delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, with Justices A. B. Mohammed and Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike concurring.

The leadership crisis in the Labour Party dates back to 2024 when the party’s National Executive Committee resolved to remove Abure as National Chairman following a protracted internal dispute.

To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with Senator Nenadi Usman—a former Minister of Finance—as Chairman. This decision was reached at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting hosted in Umuahia by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.

Abure had approached the Federal High Court to validate his position as National Chairman, claiming he was lawfully elected at the party’s National Convention held on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State.

On April 4, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling that fundamentally altered the leadership landscape of the Labour Party. A five-member panel of the apex court, in a lead judgment prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, nullified the concurrent judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal that had previously recognised Abure as National Chairman.

The Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to affirm Abure as chairman of the LP since the substance of the case concerned the party’s leadership—an internal affair over which courts lack jurisdiction. The apex court upheld the appeal filed by Senator Usman and dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal for lacking merit.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 verdict, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on January 21, 2026, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman as the legitimate leader of the Labour Party.

Justice Lifu held that evidence before the court established that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed. The court dismissed Abure’s contention that the dispute was an internal party affair and therefore non-justiciable, ruling that the constitution of the caretaker committee was “a necessity” flowing from the Supreme Court’s order.

The court directed INEC to “forthwith recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the conduct of a national convention.

Dissatisfied with the Federal High Court’s decision, Abure approached the Court of Appeal in suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/255/2026, seeking to overturn the judgment. However, the appellate court firmly dismissed his appeal, agreeing with the trial court that it had the powers under Section 251 of the Constitution to compel a statutory Federal Government agency to perform its functions.

The Court of Appeal strongly criticised Abure for abuse of court process and for engaging in “forum shopping” at a Nasarawa State High Court on a matter already decided by the Supreme Court. The court held that the appeal was devoid of merit and constituted an abuse of court process.

Consequently, the court imposed a cost of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000) against Abure for wasting judicial time on a matter that had already been conclusively determined.

Reacting to the judgment, Senator Nenadi Usman described the ruling as a victory for democracy and the rule of law. She commended the judiciary for its courage and steadfastness in upholding justice despite attempts by certain elements to undermine its integrity..

She urged all stakeholders to remain focused on the party’s forthcoming congresses and national convention.