LP Warns NLC Over Interfering in Party Issues

The Nigeria Labour Congress was forewarned by the Labour Party leadership not to attempt to seize control of the political platform, citing their inability to remove the Julius Abure-National Working Committee as recently announced. 

The party’s comment was in response to the decision made on Monday during an Abuja stakeholders’ meeting by the NLC Political Commission.

Following the meeting, the unionists said in a communiqué that they had revoked the national convention’s decision to reinstate Abure and his NWC colleagues.

The stakeholders stated that to fill the void, the Congress will form a transition committee to manage the party’s operations until new officers are chosen in three months. 

In response to accusations of corruption, forgery, and fraud made against the party leadership, the NLC’s resolution also highlighted concerns about the necessity of performing a forensic audit of LP, as demanded by Peter Obi, the organization’s presidential candidate.

On Tuesday, however, the party aimed, claiming that the Congress lacked the authority to fire its officials. This was stated in a statement released by the party’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, under the heading “NLC, cohorts lack powers to sack legitimate leadership of Labour Party.” 

According to Ifoh, the stakeholder meeting was an unlawful gathering of a few disgruntled former party members and some “social media tigers,” who are not officially registered members of the LP.

He said, “The Political Commission of the NLC is a front for Comrade Joe Ajaero which he has empowered for his political ambition come 2027. The group is unknown to the Labour Party and as such lacks powers to convene a meeting of ‘stakeholders’ to deliberate, let alone take any decision which will have a binding effect on a legally constituted party leadership.

“The group has been mandated by Ajaero to ensure that crisis in Labour Party festers ahead of 2027 by presenting itself as a rallying ground for dissident former members of our party, who recently lost the leadership battle in the courts. We are also not unmindful of the political pact the leadership of the NLC has gone into with the current All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government to destabilize the opposition.

“This explains why in quick succession all their plots to hijack the party leadership failed. First, it was by illegal picketing of the party when that failed, it attempted to introduce and inaugurate a non-existing Board of Trustees that also failed. Again, the attempted plot to take over the party using stakeholder meetings comprising former members, social media tigers, and non-members will fall like a pack of cards.

“It is pertinent to add that Nigerians are suffering under the harsh economic conditions of the current government. Workers and the downtrodden are at the receiving end. As we speak, there are unfair workers’ practices perpetuated by employers but the Nigerian Labour Congress has failed to take proactive roles to fight for the rights of workers. We want to remind Comrade Joe Ajaero that he has a lot of work to do for the Nigerian workers, which he is abdicating to face politics. This is why we previously advised that he should first resign as NLC President if he wants to join politics.”