NLC lacks power to sack Abure, others — LP

The Leadership of the Labour Party has strongly condemned the decision to sack the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) stakeholders meeting, describing it as an exercise in futility.

In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Pastor Obiora Ifoh, the party asserted that the meeting held on Monday, which included the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission and other stakeholders, lacked the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Labour Party, let alone dismiss its NWC.

The statement further accused the Joe Ajaero-led Nigerian Labour Congress of colluding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilize the Labour Party.

It asserted that the Political Commission of the NLC, allegedly controlled by Comrade Joe Ajaero, was merely a tool for his political ambitions, particularly in the upcoming 2027 elections.

The Labour Party emphasised that the decision to dismiss its NWC was illegitimate and driven by ulterior motives.

It called on its members and supporters to disregard the purported actions of the NLC stakeholders meeting and affirmed its commitment to upholding the integrity and sovereignty of the party.

The statement concluded by urging all stakeholders to remain vigilant against attempts to undermine the Labour Party’s autonomy and vowed to resist any external interference in its affairs.

“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. 

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“The group has been mandated by Ajaero to ensure that the 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 distabilise the opposition. 

“This explains why in quick succession all their plots to hijack the party leadership has 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, which also failed. 

“Again, the attempted plot to take over the party using stakeholder meetings comprising former members, social media tigers and non-members will again fail like a pack of cards.   

“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 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.”

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