Labour Party, NLC Fight Dirty over Scheduled National Convention

Major cracks have emerged in the fold of Labour Party (LP) and its affiliate, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as the party has asked the President of the NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, to resign his position and contest for the chairmanship position of the party.

The party was responding to a letter written by the NLC Political Commission – the political wing of the NLC- calling for the suspension of the planned convention of the party in Umuahia, Abia State.

The NLC Political Commission also asked the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Julius Abure, to resign immediately to give way for a caretaker transition committee, which will organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention.

In a statement signed by the Chairperson of the NLC Political Commission, Comrade Titus Amba, and the Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, the labour movement said it no longer has confidence in Abure’s leadership and urged him to resign immediately.

The labour movement accused Abure of acting as a sole proprietorship of the party by seeking to single-handedly organise a national convention without the consent and input of other key stakeholders.

NLC said the leadership of LP never informed it of plans to hold a National Convention.

It accused Abure of deploying all manner of subterfuge to undermine the efforts of NLC to reposition the LP as the number one political party in Nigeria, including shunning invitations to meet with the NLC Political Commission.

The union alleged that Abure had in April 2023 also tried to unilaterally extend his tenure in office by two years.

It said the action of Abure was in contravention of the consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court on March 20, 2018, as part of the resolution of the crisis that bedeviled the party.

But responding to the NLC in a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, the party insisted that the proposed convention would go ahead as the constitution of the party already stipulated those who could take part in it.

The party said the rascality of the NLC President, Ajaero had destroyed successes already recorded by the party.

It said the undue interference of the NLC in its affairs had become worrisome, adding that it had become needful to emphasize that the party had a life of its own different from that of the NLC.

According to the LP, the interference of the present leadership of the NLC on the party was “really choking and we can hardly breathe.”

The statement read: “The NLC letter did not come to us as a surprise or a shock; it was long expected before now, having known that the NLC was going to engage itself in this misadventure.

“Nigerians will recall that in 2014, NLC has been involved in a war of blackmail and attrition against the Labour Party and its leadership. It was only recently, following the civil and diplomatic approach adopted by Barrister Julius Abure when he assumed leadership that he was able to get the then President of the NLC, Ayuba Waba, and the then President of the Trade Union Congress, Olaleye Quadri to a truce where the NLC, TUC and Labour Party agreed to work together in harmony.

“Unfortunately, the rascality of the current President of the NLC, Joe Ajero has destroyed the successes already recorded. It must be noted that the NLC and its political commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress has written several letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and to the party on the need to conduct a national convention. In fact, the NLC has questioned even the rationale behind the one-year extension, which was graciously granted by the NEC in session in Asaba, which is in line with the party constitution.

“The leadership of the party in its wisdom has decided to yield to their agitation for a convocation of a national convention. Article 14:4(b) of our party constitution mandates the National Secretary in consultation with the National Chairman to issue notices of meetings of National Convention, NEC, NWC amongst others. It is in the exercise of this power that the national chairman and national Secretary have called for the convention following the decision of the national executive council of the party. It is therefore ironic for the same NLC which has been agitating for a convention to now be demanding the rationale for the call for a convention.

“At this point, the leadership of the party wants to ask the NLC, what exactly do they want? If Joe Ajero is interested in the leadership of the party, he is therefore advised to resign as the President of the NLC and join in the contest for the national chairmanship of the party that is scheduled for the convention on the 27th of March, 2024.

“We must note that undue interference by the Nigeria Labour Congress on the affairs of the party has become worrisome and it has become needful to emphasize here the distinction that the Labour Party has a life of its own different from that of the Nigeria Labour Congress. In fact, the 1999 Constitution states clearly that once a political party is registered, it has a life of its own whereby it can run its own affairs without any interference,” LP explained.

“The Electoral Act and the Constitution provide that no organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation cannot claim the ownership of the Labour Party. The constitution of the party is clear that it is only those who subscribe to the party and those who are financial members of the party are the owners of the party and therefore can have a say on the affairs of the party,” LP added.

“The interference of the present leadership of the NLC on the party is really choking and we can hardly breathe. It is this NLC leadership which pressured the Party not to give His Excellency, Alex Otti the governorship ticket for the 2023 general election on the ground that he was allegedly not workers’ friendly when he was a Chief Executive of a bank. But today, that same Alex Otti is doing the Labour Party proud with the work he is doing in Abia State.

“It will shock Nigerians to know that members and officials of the NLC are not even card-carrying members of the Labour Party. All over the country, NLC members are supporting either the APC or the PDP,” LP explained.