THE Board of Trustees of the Labour Party (LP) said it had taken over the party’s affairs.
The BoT in a statement on Wednesday, March 26, by its Chairman, Z. Ejiofor, described the convention held in Anambra State hours before the announcement as a ‘charade.’
It said it would soon start an ‘all-inclusive’ national convention.
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The ICIR reported that the LP chairman, Julius Abure, was re-elected on Wednesday, March 27, despite opposition from the Joe Ajaero-led Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
After delegates from across the country gathered in Nnewi, Anambra State, the convention’s chairman and the deputy governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, announced Abure as the winner at the party’s national convention.
Shortly after the convention, the NLC rejected the process and vowed not to recognise Abure as the party’s leader.
Reacting to the announcement, the BOT said it has stepped in to steer the party’s affairs in line with its constitution, noting that the move was to avoid any leadership vacuum in the party.
“Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as the owners of the Labour Party and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party be held.
“The decision of the Board of Trustees is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on 27th June 2022 which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement added.
While commending the commitment of the party’s members and candidates, the BoT pledged to promptly set in motion processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention.
The BOT further assured all stakeholders of the party that its members were committed to reclaiming and repositioning the party as the vehicle for the socio-political emancipation of the country.
“Unlike the charade that took place today in Newi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive national convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level. This process will not leave any genuine member of Labour Party out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents and the general public,” the statement said.
The ICIR reports that there has been a battle for supremacy between Abure and NLC leader Ajaero.
The NLC had demanded that Abure step down as party chairman and that a caretaker transition committee be established to plan the party’s “legal and inclusive national convention.”
On Wednesday, March 20, workers were prevented from accessing the party headquarters in Abuja.
The workers later gathered outside the premises, chanting anti-party songs and calling for the chairman’s resignation, whom they accused of financial misconduct.
The leadership crisis assumed a new dimension after Ajaero was accused by the party’s National Working Committee of trying to unseat Abure.
INEC disowns Labour Party convention
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party (LP) National Convention in Anambra State.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, the chief press secretary to INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, March 28.
According to Oyekanmi, the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M