The Labour Party (LP) faction loyal to Abia State Governor Alex Otti has called for reconciliation within the party following a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja on Wednesday. The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee, effectively sacking Julius Abure as national chairman.
Senator Usman, Interim National Chairman of the faction, described the ruling as an opportunity to heal divisions rather than escalate the leadership crisis. In a statement issued by her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, she said:
“We received with profound joy and relief the judgment of the Federal High Court, which directs INEC to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman’s leadership as the only valid, authentic, and legitimate leadership of the Labour Party. Although the journey to this point was long and turbulent, this moment should be embraced as a solemn opportunity for genuine reconciliation.”
Usman emphasised that the judgment should mark a new beginning based on unity, healing, and collective progress, calling it a “no victor, no vanquished” moment for the party.
The Abure-led faction, however, rejected the ruling and announced its intention to appeal, insisting that it contradicts the April 2025 Supreme Court verdict on the party’s leadership dispute. In a statement by LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, Abure’s camp claimed the judgment was a misinterpretation of the apex court’s decision and an unwarranted interference in party affairs.
Earlier on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court held that Abure’s tenure had expired and directed INEC to recognise the Usman-led caretaker committee until a national convention could be conducted.
Following the ruling, the Otti-backed faction urged all party members, including those dissatisfied with the decision, to embrace dialogue and reconciliation. Usman announced plans to establish a Truce and Reconciliation Committee to engage aggrieved members and restore lasting harmony within the party.
The faction also called on INEC to fully comply with the court order, stating:
“As a law-abiding institution and major stakeholder in Nigeria’s democracy, the Labour Party calls on INEC to end all unnecessary distractions by recognising Senator Nenadi Usman’s leadership as clearly directed by the court.”
The Abure faction, meanwhile, alleged procedural irregularities, claiming they were denied fair hearing and that warning signs emerged when the case was reassigned to Justice Lifu. They also argued that the ruling contradicts judicial precedents, noting that the Supreme Court had previously held that courts lacked jurisdiction over party leadership matters and that no leadership vacuum existed.
Despite the legal battle, Abure’s camp urged members to remain calm, promising to exhaust all legal avenues to reclaim leadership.
“The party is not for sale, and no amount of financial power will make us abdicate our leadership position,” the statement warned.
The leadership crisis traces back to a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, where the LP National Executive Committee (NEC), chaired by Otti and Peter Obi, removed Abure as national chairman and constituted the 29-member caretaker committee headed by Usman.
In April 2025, the Supreme Court had set aside an earlier Court of Appeal judgment recognising Abure as chairman, ruling that appellate courts lacked jurisdiction to determine political party leadership. Justice Lifu, referencing the Supreme Court position, affirmed that the Usman-led caretaker committee remains the only legitimate authority to represent the Labour Party until a national convention is held.