• NLC, others lack powers to sack Abure led NWC, says Labour Party
.jpeg) |
| Photo combo of Julius Abure and Joe Ajaero |
'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
Tayo Busayo, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has nullified the national convention that returned Julius Abure, as National Chairman and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP).
This was announced in a communique issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday, in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, former NLC President, Abdulwahed Omar, Chairman, LP Board of Trustees, Sylvester Ejiofor, Coordinator of Obidient Movement, Dr Moses Paul and LP governorship in Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif, amongst others.
Directing the congress to set up a transition committee to oversee the affairs of the party pending the election of new officers, the communique reads in part: “Owing to the current vacuum in the leadership of the Labour Party, the NLC Political Commission consequent on its status in the Constitution of the Labour Party as a registered trustee of the Labour Party, a status that was further buttressed by a Federal High Court consent judgment delivered on March 20, 2018, by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, moved for an immediate constitution of a transition committee with a mandate to set up structures at national, state, local government and ward level for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the Labour Party.
“The stakeholders meeting passed a vote of no-confidence on the purported Labour Party national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra and regards as inconsequential the leadership that claims to have emerged from the illegal Nnewi Convention. INEC and all relevant security organisations are hereby notified and should be officially written immediately to recognise the transition committee as the interim leadership of LP pending the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention.
“The committee once constituted should fully take over the secretariats of the Labour Party all over Nigeria and shall immediately set up an assets recovery process of all the properties of the Labour Party.
“The committee shall also ensure that all the cases of fraud, impersonation, and forgery of government documents pending against a few discredited former officers of the Labour Party are forensically audited and culprits are diligently prosecuted as demanded by the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi. Unfortunately, the actions of these few dishonourable characters have splashed mud on the white satin of the Labour Party.
“Pursuant to the foregoing, the committee shall within three months of its constitution ensure the conduct of an inclusive national convention of the party starting from ward congresses to local government congresses to state congresses culminating in an all-inclusive and expansive national convention in Abuja. Finally, we reiterate that the Labour Party is a Party for all Nigerians regardless of ethnic, religious, regional, social and economic orientation or status.”
NLC, others lack powers to sack Abure led NWC, says Labour Party
The Labour Party has said the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission lacked the powers to sack the National Chairman, Abure led National Working Committee.
The party was responding to the communique issued by the Political Commission after a stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Monday where it sacked the NWC led by Abure and called for the setting up of a transition committee to run the party.
The stakeholders also agreed to take over the running of the offices of the party across the country pending when a new national convention would be conducted.
They gave the transition committee three months to organise a legitimate convention beginning from the ward to local, state congresses and national convention.
But responding in a statement on Tuesday, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh berated the political commission, saying it lacked such powers to make such decisions.
The statement said all plots to by the NLC to hijack the party leadership have failed.
It also alleged that the Political Commission of the NLC was a front for President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero “which he has empowered for the purpose of his political ambition come 2027.”
The statement reads: “The leadership of the Labour Party has read with dismay the attempt by the Nigeria Labour Congress, a body not recognized by the Constitution of our great party or any of our known laws for that matter, to arrogate to itself powers it does not possess.
“It claimed to have sacked the Comrade Julius Abure- led National Working Committee of the Labour Party, after holding an illegal assembly of a handful of aggrieved former members of the party and some social media tigers who are not known to be card carrying members of our party.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored the illegal act but for the need to set the records straight and to prevent genuine democracy loving Nigerians and supporters of our great party from being misled, we offer a few clarifications.
“The Political Commission of the NLC is a front for Comrade Joe Ajaero which he has empowered for the purpose of his political ambition come 2027. The group is unknown to the Labour Party 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.
Abure no longer LP’s chairman – NLC
“The group has been mandated by Ajaero to ensure that the crisis in the 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 distabilise the opposition.
“This explains why in quick succession all their plots to hijack the party leadership have 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 stakeholders meeting comprising formers members, social media tigers and non members will again fail like a pack of card.
“If only the drama boys who gathered on Monday as stakeholders could open the Labour Party constitution which guides the conducts of the party, probably they would have not wasted their time being part of the scantly attended jamboree. Since you cannot build something on nothing, the gathering itself lacks legitimacy and as such decisions reached remain an enterprise in futility. They are null, void and of no effect.
“It is on record that the Labour Party recently had a very successful national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State where party officials were elected and given the sacred mandate to build on the successes recorded by our party in the 2023 general elections.
“There is no disputing the fact that the Abure-led NWC led the party into becoming a national brand. With the support of members and Nigerians across the length and breadth of this great nation, the party now boasts a number of Senators, members of the Federal House of Representatives as well as State Assemblies. Need we talk about the pace setting Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti?
“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 today there are unfair workers practices perpetuated by employers and the Nigeria Labour Congress has failed to take proactive roles in order to fight for the right 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 had previously advised him that if he wants to join politics let him first resign as the President of the NLC and let us know that he has turned to a politician.
“We have a collective responsibility to rebuild our party and as a leader that he is, Comrade Abure has offered his hands of fellowship to all genuine party members to come on board to partner with him and give Nigerians a truly democratic platform to pursue their dreams of a better Nigeria which we all know is still possible.
“As a law abiding party, we will seek the protection of the court of law should the need arise. We, however, appeal to our teeming supporters to remain calm because in the end, justice will prevail.”
