The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Julius Abure has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates despite the protests by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Other serving officers of the party were also returned.
Recall that the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.
Court refuses to stop Abure from conducting LP national convention
Meanwhile, a factional chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Mr Peter Okoye has boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.
Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye said: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal.
“There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected the delegates that are electing the National Working Committee, NWC, members?
“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”
On March 20, workers who were not allowed access into the party office gathered around the premises chanting songs against and demanding the sack of the Labour Party Chairman whom they accused of financial impropriety.
The leadership of rival camps in the party both faulted the picking of the LP by the NLC, though they disagree over the party’s leadership. According to the LP, the party’s leadership is not answerable to the congress.
Last Thursday, former NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, weighed in on the crisis, saying the LP is answerable to the congress.
Wabba, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the party was formed as a platform for members of the union to exercise and defend their rights.
He said, “First and foremost, the Labour Party was formed by the NLC, in the realisation of a clear objective in the Constitution of the NLC. Under Article 3 and Item 1, the major objective of the NLC is to promote, defend and advance the economic, political, and social rights and well-being of Nigerian workers and pensioners,” he stated.
“We own the Labour Party; it was formed under the leadership of Pascal Bafyau, as Party for Social Democracy. Under Adams, organs decided to change the name to the Labour Party, and the first chairman was S.O.Z Ejiofor who later handed over to Dan Anyanwu.
“So, the essence of forming the party is to make sure that workers, pensioners, farmers, can be able to have a platform to exercise their rights, which is enshrined in Section 40 of the Constitution. The party was formed by NLC, and registered by NLC. It’s like you built a house, you got a C-of-O, then you rented the apartment, so you must have an interest in how the property is managed.”
VANGUARD/Channels TV
