By Oluchi Oparah, accused Abure of mismanaging N3.5 billion, a claim he denied. An Abuja High Court later restrained him from acting as chairman in April 2023, sparking a prolonged legal battle.
Amid the dispute, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State organized a stakeholders’ meeting in September 2024, where Senator Nenadi Usman was appointed chairman of a 29-member caretaker committee. The meeting was attended by LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.
INEC also rejected Abure’s leadership, citing irregularities in the party’s national convention and confirming that his tenure had expired in June 2024. However, the Federal High Court upheld his leadership in October 2024, and the Court of Appeal affirmed his position in November before the Supreme Court’s final ruling overturned it.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Hamma Barka stated that party leadership matters should be handled internally, making previous court decisions on Abure’s position invalid. This effectively restores the party’s caretaker committee under Usman.
Reacting to the ruling, Usman described it as a “significant milestone” for democracy. “This is not a time for triumphalism—there is no victor and no vanquished,” she said, calling for unity within the party and urging members to remain committed to the LP’s vision of justice and equity.
