Court Orders INEC to Recognise Nenadi Usman–Led Labour Party

The ruling was delivered on January 21, 2025, by Justice Lifu of Court 9 of the Federal High Court in the suit marked Senator Esther Nenadi Usman v. INEC.

At the hearing, the plaintiff, Senator Usman, was present and represented by Innocent L. Adoo, Esq., alongside F.O. Akoh, Esq., and O.M. Offiah, Esq. INEC, listed as the first defendant, was represented by Adamu Bello, Esq., holding the brief of O.A. Adeyemi, Esq. Other defendants were represented by O.V. Akowe, Esq., while the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), joined as the fifth defendant, was represented by Marshal Abubakar, Esq., with Tamuno Tonye Ekundayo, Esq.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that the Supreme Court had already settled the issue of the Labour Party’s leadership, noting that the question of locus standi did not arise in the case. The court dismissed all objections raised by the defendants, ruling that they lacked merit and could not succeed.

The judge answered all the questions raised by the plaintiff in the affirmative and emphasised that the matter constituted an internal affair of the political party, which the court could not interfere with beyond enforcing the law.

Consequently, the court urged INEC to recognise Senator Nenadi Usman as the only valid representative of the Labour Party and to accept all processes emanating from her leadership pending the party’s congress.

The court made no order as to costs.