NLC distances itself from Abure-led NWC, forms interim committee

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has voided the national convention that returned the National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his National Working Committee.

To fill the vacuum, the stakeholders said the congress would set up a transition committee to oversee the affairs of the party pending when new officers will be elected in three months.

In attendance at the gathering which held on Monday were representatives of the Chairman of NLC Political Commission, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku; former President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulwahed Omar; Chairman, LP Board of Trustees, Sylvester Ejiofor;  Coordinator of Obidient Movement, Dr. Moses Paul; and LP Plateau governorship candidate, Chief Yohana Margif.

Others were the Coordinator of the Labour Party Patriotic Members Congress, Dr. Kingsley Okundaye; Kaduna LP Governorship Candidate, Jonathan Asake and representative of Persons with Disability in Labour Party, Ihekwoaba Paul.

The resolution taken by the unionists on Monday also raised concerns on the need to conduct a forensic audit of LP bank accounts in line with the demand of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, following allegations of corruption, forgery and fraud levelled against the leadership of the party.

These were contained in the communique released after the NLC stakeholders’ meeting and made available to The PUNCH.

The communique read, “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 in the purported Labour Party national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State 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 leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi. It is unfortunate that the actions of these few dishonourable characters have splashed mud on the white satin of Labour Party.”

The communique added, “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.”

When called for a reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said the NWC could not be intimidated by the NLC stakeholders and their ‘co-travellers.’

He said, “We are not interested in whatever they do and LP won’t give credence to any statement they issue. You can imagine the level of impunity with which these people are acting. They have no power to do anything.”

The vote of no confidence passed in Abure and his NWC came up few hours after scores of LP supporters took to the streets of Abuja to protest harassment and continuous interference in the affairs of the party.

The protesters, who went carrying placards with various inscriptions that read “If you are not for Abure, go and seek another political party” and “Abure is our chairman”, vowed to resist any attempt to take over control of the party.

Solidarity songs of ‘We want Abure’ rent the air as the protest march took off from the new Federal Capital Territory chapter of the party secretariat to the Gudu venue of the NLC stakeholders meeting.

They were, however, prevented by security operatives from gaining access to the premises.