Category: Politics

A Federal High Court ruling may have resolved the Labour Party’s leadership dispute, but with Peter Obi gone and the 2027 elections approaching, doubts remain about the party’s future. DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR RAYMOND MORDI reports.

By any measure, the Federal High Court ruling delivered on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, should have been a pivotal turning point for the Labour Party (LP). Justice Peter Lifu’s judgment, affirming the removal of Julius Abure as national chairman and recognising Senator Nenadi Usman as head of a 29-member National Caretaker Committee, was unequivocal.

It echoed earlier pronouncements of the Supreme Court, held that Abure’s tenure had long expired, and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deal only with the Usman-led leadership.

However, instead of ending the conflict, the judgment has sparked a bigger debate: is this truly the end of the LP’s internal crisis, or just another phase in ongoing troubles since its rapid rise in 2023? Put simply, does the LP still matter as Nigeria heads toward the 2027 election?

These questions hover over a party that once embodied youthful protest politics and electoral disruption, but now appears trapped between legal victories and political decline.

A party stuck in court

For over two years, the LP has been known more for court battles than for its ideas or organization. Rival groups have moved between different courts, each seeking legal backing for their claims. As a result, the party’s usual ways of settling disputes broke down, replaced by legal orders and public arguments.

Justice Lifu’s ruling matters because it tries to end this cycle. By confirming that only the Nenadi Usman-led committee is recognized by law and the INEC, the court aimed to bring closure where the party itself could not.

Chief Clems Ezika, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), sees the decision as legally straightforward. “The Supreme Court has settled the position ab initio that Abure never emerged as the national chairman of the party from Congress,” he says. “So, Abure was not properly elected as the party’s national chairman from the outset.”

For Ezika, a respected elder within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Federal High Court merely restated settled law. “Since the court has declared that the Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the party is the only one recognised by law, the matter is resolved,” he argues, adding that the only outstanding task is for the caretaker committee to organise a fresh congress in line with the party constitution.

Others, however, are less optimistic about the political consequences. Afam Ilouno, a legal practitioner and long-standing LP member, believes the ruling highlights a deeper malaise. “If the judgment of the Supreme Court did not bring peace to the party because certain people refused to respect it, would they respect the judgment of the lower court?” he asks. “They would now claim the right of appeal and start climbing the ladder (of appeal) upwards once again.”

In short, the law is clear, but getting people to follow it is a different issue.

Abure’s shadow

Julius Abure, the central figure in this story, is still a divisive presence even after being removed. Critics say he represents the party’s problems, arguing that his refusal to step down after his term ended hurt the party and alienated key supporters.

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Ezika is unsparing. He describes Abure as “a meddlesome interloper” whose actions undermined the party from within. Among LP insiders, there is a more caustic allegation: that Abure functioned as an APC mole, fraternising with influential figures aligned with the ruling party and deliberately weakening the LP as an opposition force.

Critics may not be able to prove these claims beyond a reasonable doubt, but their persistence reveals a larger issue: Abure’s time as leader became linked to problems. During his leadership, the party lost many elected officials and key members, most notably Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate. Obi’s move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) cost the party its strongest asset.

Justice Lifu’s ruling removes any legal claim Abure had to the party’s leadership. Still, his influence remains. The group loyal to Abure plans to appeal, which could keep the party in limbo and make rebuilding harder.

“Given how Nigerian politics works, Abure and his team seem desperate,” says one LP member who asked not to be named. “But even small issues can hold a party back if there’s no discipline.”

Nenadi Usman’s moment

For Senator Nenadi Usman, the judgment is both a win and a challenge. She called it “a victory for democracy” and a turning point for a party she says has been “unfairly battered by internal sabotage.” Usman insists the LP is not about one person, and losing big names does not mean the party will fail.

“Our task now is to reorganise,” she told supporters shortly after the ruling. “The Labour Party will remain a formidable force in 2027.”

Usman argues that Obi and others joined the ADC with the LP leadership’s approval, calling it a tactical move rather than a betrayal. This view helps the party keep a symbolic link to the Obidient Movement, even as it plans for a future that might not include Obi as its candidate.

It’s unclear if this argument will convince regular party members. Many grassroots supporters followed Obi to the ADC, prioritizing personal loyalty over official endorsements.

Still, Usman’s leadership brings some stability by giving INEC, donors, and candidates a clear point of contact. As Comrade Mashood Erubami, an APC member and activist, says, “Members of the LP now know their leader, and they have the opportunity to sponsor a candidate in the election.”

Relevance without Obi?

The biggest challenge for the LP is not legal but political: Can the party stay relevant without Peter Obi?

In 2023, Obi’s candidacy and the youth-led Obidient Movement were the primary factors behind the LP’s rise to prominence. Before that, the party was a minor player with little national presence. Obi turned it into a platform for protest votes, city-based support, and social media excitement.

Now that much of that energy has moved to the ADC, the LP could return to its pre-2023 status. Ezika puts it plainly: “As of today, most of its core members and supporters have migrated to the ADC. So, at the end of the day, the Labour Party may be labouring in vain.”

Others warn against giving up on the party too soon. Ilouno says relevance isn’t just about one person. “There are still people in the LP who are holding the ground,” he says. “The party has been around for some time, even before it became a frontline platform.”

This struggle between maintaining the party’s strength and relying on prominent personalities lies at the heart of the LP’s problem. In Nigeria, parties often serve ambitious politicians. The LP became a movement for a while, but now, without its central figure, it must choose whether to build lasting structures or risk fading away.

Datti Baba-Ahmed and the question of alignment

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Obi’s former running mate, adds more complexity. He wants to run for the LP’s presidential ticket, which raises challenging questions about party unity and strategy.

At first glance, his ambition shows faith in the party’s future. But where does he stand between Abure and Usman? And how can he oppose the ADC coalition while still supporting Obi, who wants that coalition’s ticket?

Some observers interpret Baba-Ahmed’s posture as hedging. Some think Baba-Ahmed is playing it safe. “He is keeping one foot in the LP and one eye on the broader opposition realignment,” says a political analyst in Abuja. “It could be a personal strategy, or it could be part of a larger game plan we don’t yet see.” It is both an opportunity and a test. A credible aspirant could signal that the party remains competitive. But internal disagreements over alliances and ideology could as easily reopen old wounds.

The merger question

One of the most significant decisions for the LP is its choice not to join any mergers or alliances before 2027. In a political scene dominated by those in power, a divided opposition usually means defeat.

Ezika draws a historical parallel. “The only way to defeat the incumbent is if all the opposition parties consolidate their powers by coming together and presenting a single candidate,” he says, recalling how the APC itself emerged from a merger of legacy parties in 2013.

From this point of view, the LP’s decision to go it alone seems unrealistic. Erubami goes further, saying that even a united opposition might struggle against the ruling party’s strengths. “As far as I am concerned, the 2027 presidential election is already a done deal for Asiwaju,” he says, noting the influence of APC governors and the power of incumbency.

Still, many in the LP resist mergers because they don’t trust bigger parties. Activists worry about losing the party’s identity if they join larger groups—past experiences of smaller parties being swallowed up in coalitions still bother them.

Senator Usman’s leadership will partly be judged by how well she handles this challenge, balancing party values with political reality.

A party saved or postponed?

Supporters of the court ruling say it has saved the LP from ending up like the PDP, which has been weakened by protracted internal crises. By removing Abure and approving a caretaker leadership, they believe the court has given the LP another chance.

Critics argue that the court’s action may be too late. With top leaders and supporters already gone, legal decisions alone can’t bring back the party’s momentum.

What’s clear is that the ruling changes the situation. It ends one dispute but may start others. It gives Nenadi Usman more authority, but doesn’t guarantee everyone will follow. It clarifies who leads, but doesn’t address the party’s relevance.

As one independent observer said, “The Labour Party has won its case in court. Now it must win a case with Nigerians.”

Whither the LP?

The coming months will show if the LP can turn legal order into political success. The party faces big tests: holding a credible national congress, creating a message that goes beyond 2023 nostalgia, and choosing whether to go it alone or form alliances.

It is good that the party is not built around one person, as its new leadership claims. But Nigerian politics is still very focused on individuals. Without a leader who can rally voters nationwide, the LP could become just a minor player in the 2027 race.

Justice Lifu’s ruling might end one leadership fight, but it doesn’t solve the party’s bigger crisis. Whether the Labour Party becomes a real contender or fades away will depend more on future decisions than on court rulings.

For now, the question is still unanswered: What’s next for the Labour Party?