Even as the Federal High Court in Abuja has reportedly removed the Julius Abure-led executive of the Labour Party and the candidates produced under them for purposes of elections, the Inspector-General of Police Mr Kayode Egbetokun has again been called upon to enforce the judgments of the Federal High Court and the Supreme Court of Nigeria removing Abure as Labour Party’s national chairman, arrest and prosecute him for impersonation if he persists in claiming the leadership of the Labour Party.
Making the call is the prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) which also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to categorically write the IGP asking him to enforce these judgments so as to sanitise the polity and end the needless disagreements between the erstwhile National Chairman of LP Mr. Abure and the legally recognised hierarchy headed by former Finance Minister Mrs. Nenadi Usman.
Justice Peter Lifu on Wednesday ruled that Senator Nenadi Usman-led executive is the authentic leadership of the party.
Consequently, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forthwith, recognize the Usman-led caretaker committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending when the party convenes a national convention.
The judgement followed a suit marked: THC/ABJ/CS/2262/2025, which the former minister lodged before the court.
The judge reaffirmed the verdict of the Supreme Court on April 4, 2024, which invalidated the Abure-led executive.
While dismissing Abure’s contention that the matter was an internal affair of a political party that is non-justiceable, the court held that the setting up of the LP caretaker committee was “a necessity” that arose from the order of the Supreme Court.
It will be recalled that following a leadership crisis that rocked the LP, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party resolved to remove Abure as the National Chairman.
To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with the former Finance Minister, Usman as Chairman.
HURIWA commended the Federal High Court for restating the earlier final verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria which had categorically removed Mr. Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour party.
Last year April, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had condemned Julius Abure’s continued occupation of the national chairmanship of the Labour Party (LP)despite a Supreme Court judgment, describing it as an affront to the rule of law and institutional integrity.
HURIWA, in a statement to the media, had expressed concern over what it described as Abure’s blatant disregard for the apex court’s ruling and his alleged efforts to destabilise one of Nigeria’s few credible opposition parties.
Consequently, the civil society group warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat if the country drifts into a de facto one-party system, stressing that a viable and respected opposition like the Labour Party must be protected and preserved.
Rather than complying with the judicial verdict, HURIWA alleged that Abure chose to cling to power, fueling internal crises and division within the party.
The group described his actions as contempt of court and a dangerous violation of the principle of separation of powers in a constitutional democracy.
HURIWA had also called on the Nigeria Police Force to perform its constitutional role by removing Abure from the party’s national secretariat and enforcing the Supreme Court’s decision. “It is a matter of honour and law,” the body stated.
The statement added: “If the Nigeria Police truly operates under the law and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Police Act of 2020, then the enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment should be non-negotiable.”
“We don’t understand why the Supreme Court of Nigeria would give a decision and the person directly affected by the verdict would be allowed by the government to dance around the considered judgment of the apex court. The Federal High Court has just re-echoed the same decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and we think it is high time that the IGP should arrest Abure if he continues to claim what he is not.”
COMRADE EMMANUEL NNADOZIE ONWUBIKO,
NATIONAL COORDINATOR,
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). WEDNESDAY, 21ST JANUARY 2026.
