Federal High Court Zamfara Sets June 4 For “Expedited Hearing” After Declining Ex Parte Order Against Abure-Led Faction

The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party has taken another dramatic turn, as the faction loyal to the embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, has condemned what it termed the “desperate attempts” by the Otti/Usman group to secure control of the party through the courts.

Reacting to the recent legal move by the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), headed by former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, in a statement issued Monday in Abuja, accused the opposing camp of “shopping for court orders” to undermine the party’s unity and leadership.

The Usman-led NCC—backed by Abia State Governor Alex Otti—had approached the Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State, seeking an ex parte order to restrain Abure and the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, from parading themselves as national officers of the party. The suit, marked FHC/GS/CS/30/2025, was filed through an ally, Alhaji Sule Garba.

However, on May 15, 2025, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim declined to grant the requested interim order, insisting that all respondents, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), must be put on notice. The court scheduled an expedited hearing and adjourned the matter to June 4, 2025.

In a sharp response, Ifoh expressed disappointment over what he called “reckless internal sabotage,” accusing the Otti/Usman camp of worsening the party’s internal crisis rather than promoting unity.

“We are shocked to learn that some of our leaders are desperately shopping for court orders from every nook and cranny to ensure that crisis persists in the party and to stop INEC from recognising our leadership. In their desperate mood, they left Abuja and journeyed overnight all the way to Zamfara, yet the court refused their prayers,” Ifoh said.

He added, “This is not the first time they have resorted to court order shopping. They went to Aba last year on a similar mission and were refused. I really do not understand the kind of stiff-necked leaders that are emerging in Nigeria today, where people see a mission that is practically impossible, yet they prefer to sink a ship in their desperation to catch a fish.”

Ifoh further questioned the logic behind the legal challenge, noting that the Supreme Court had recently affirmed that political parties must resolve internal disputes through internal mechanisms.

“I am sure you have read the Supreme Court judgement very well. Is there anywhere the Supreme Court said it has removed Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, or anywhere it ruled that Nenadi Usman has now become the new chairman? Even INEC has admitted that the stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia which enthroned Nenadi Usman was illegal.”

Calling for unity and reconciliation, he urged aggrieved members to obey the Supreme Court’s directive and prioritise party development over personal ambition.

“It is regrettable that up till now, some people are still busy chasing shadows while other serious political parties and their leaders are tilling the ground in anticipation of a bountiful harvest ahead of 2027. Why would someone wake up one morning and start fighting himself? This is no longer normal,” he said.

The Usman-led NCC has not yet issued a statement on the failed court application. However, the caretaker faction recently announced the formation of a disciplinary panel to investigate Abure’s tenure—a move which the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) countered by suspending Governor Otti and several senior party members.

As both factions continue to battle for supremacy, the leadership crisis in the Labour Party shows no signs of abating, despite the Supreme Court’s recent pronouncement urging internal conflict resolution.