By -Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. The lingering rift between the Nigeria Labour Congress -NLC and the Labour Party -LP has recently taken a new dimension as the leadership of the Labour party decided to picket the National Secretariat of the Labour Party located in the Otako district of Abuja.
On Wednesday 20th of March 2024, members of different affiliates of the NLC converged at the Labour House in Abuja before moving to the LP National Secretariat where they sang different slogans and subsequently pushed in the secretariat premises despite a police move to block the NLC members.
The Nigerian Labour Congress says its aim of establishing the party in 2003 is to provide opportunities for the workers and ordinary Nigerians to participate in the political process and politics that would allow them to contest positions at various levels but the leadership of the Party under Julius Abure turns the party to be like that of oppressors which the Union challenged due their anti masses ideology.
Shortly after taking over the party secretariat Benson Upah who is the Director of Media and Public Affairs of NLC said their action is to rescue the party from the hands of unpatriotic elements whose interest is to get rich which is contrary to the mission of Labour Party principles.
He said the amount the party under Abure is charging members who are contesting for positions is beyond the reach of the common Nigerians who are still receiving 30 thousand as minimum wage
Upah said the Abura planned National convention slated to take place in Abia State is illegal as far they are concerned Julius Abure’s tenure as National Chairman has already expired
Benson added that the NLC strives for the worker’s welfare through several agitations for minimum wage review and other welfare packages for workers, it will also not allow its political wing, the Labour Party, to be destroyed by unpatriotic elements such as Abure.
Labour Party’s reactions to Picketing of its National Secretariat
Reacting to the NLC’s actions of picketing the LP National Secretariat and its call for Abure’s resignation as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, the LP leadership described the break and entry into its National headquarters as unlawful by the NLC.
Obiora Ifoh is the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, he said the action of the Nigeria Labour Congress is a Personal vendetta against the LP National Chairman.
This is contained in a statement released by the party on Wednesday, the same day the NLC picketed the party’s National Secretariat and ordered to do the same in the 36 states across the country
“The leadership of the Labour Party has described the unlawful break and entry into its national headquarters by the Nigeria Labour Congress -NLC and colloidal destruction of properties as a Criminal act, a misplacement of priority, and an action done in bad fate.
Ajaero’s continuous claim that NLC owns the Labour Party is not in any way supported by either the electoral Act or the Constitution. For his Information, a political party is owned by those who are card-carrying or financial members of the party.
We are aware that more than 90 percent of the members of the NLC have not met this condition and therefore can not claim to be the owners of the party
The constitution also provides that no organization can own any other organization. The NLC as an organization can therefore not claim ownership of the Labour Party.
Today Nigeria is witnessing the worst economic strangulation ever in the history of Nigeria.Issues such as poor workers’ wages, high inflation, and insecurity with Nigeria turning to a Hobbesian state. Yet, after a year of his assumption of office, Ajaero has chosen to ignore all these national challenges.
It would interest you to know that Ajaero’s NLC has yet to successfully picket any Federal Government establishment. His attempt to extend his rascality to Imo state was met with a higher and brutal force.
Unfortunately for us in the Labour Party, we do not command any force, unlike the NLC which is now encouraging militancy within its ranks.
The LP said the NLC, by its constitution, can not call for a picketing of any establishment without the direction of its National Executive Council (NEC).
By its constitution, the NLC can not ever call for a picketing of any establishment without a directive of its NEC, but what we saw was a political committee acting out an illegal script by Ajaero ” the statement read.
“The committee has no legal right to call an action like picketing or breaking into a political party where most of them are not even members.
The present NLC leadership is politicized. It has left its primary responsibilities of defending Nigerian workers and has delved deeply into politics and this is a bad omen for the working community.
We have earlier advised Ajaero to emulate the leadership of Ayuba Waba, Olaleye Quadri, and Festus Osifo who had or currently passing through a similar route and still maintain a working relationship with the party “the statement added
LP will take legal action against NLC
The Labour Party said it will take legal action against NLC on matters of libel, as the party alleged that there were “chants of a thief ” against its chairman.
“We are however reviewing today’s (Wednesday 20 March 2024) criminal actions and disruption of activities in our national headquarters with our legal department for further actions.
What we saw today appears to be a personal vendetta against the national chairman, Julius Abure who they called several unprintable names including labeling him a thief. We are certainly going to take legal action on matters of libel” the statement stressed.
Another reaction from NLC President Joe Ajaero
The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has denied that his intervention in Labour Party politics comes from a personal political interest.
He said that his intervention in the Labour Party was in the interest of the party.
Ajaero, who was speaking with The Nation on Wednesday night, said that the NLC’s action is to save the party from the current mismanagement of Aburu’s leadership.
“I have no ambition; I am only trying to finish what my predecessors started.
Somebody said Ajaero wants to be president in 2027. Have I filled out the form for any political party? What I am doing now, is it different from what other presidents of NLC did? Abdulwaheed Omar as president was during the time of Dan Iwuanyawu. He even had to boycott the convention in Ondo State and set up a caretaker committee then.
What I am trying to implement now is the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ayuba Wabba and Julius Abure. I have not even done anything. They were in court. It was Femi Falana that rescued it and no convention brought Abure.
So, trying to enforce the MoU has made me want to be president. It wasn’t that Ayuba or Omar wanted to be President. I am following the trajectory.
During Omar’s time, we had to intervene after the meeting with Olusegun Mimiko and set up a caretaker committee. Ayuba was in court with Abure until he signed a MoU that by June 2023 he will hand over. He begged to be there till after the presidential election and after that time he (Abure) didn’t want to hand it over. He has overstayed.
It is a court judgment that declared that the NLC is the owner of the party and that we have to do an all-inclusive convention from 2018 till now. Now he (Abure) is saying the NLC is a meddlesome interloper.
What we are saying is that he (Abure) should abide by the MoU he signed with Ayuba. So, should I abandon what people who came before me agreed on because I don’t want people to say I want to be president?
If you signed an agreement, you have to live by it. Ayuba engaged in this process more than I have started; Omar, the same thing. During Omar’s time, I was the chairman of the political commission and we engaged in this process” The labor leader stated.
National convention without word and local government Congresses
Impossible to hold a National Convention without word and local government Congresses.
The Congress must start from the grassroots to have basic leadership from the foundation.
“Have you seen a party that conducted their national convention without ward congress, local government congress, and state congress? How do you determine the delegates? Who are the names he sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission -INEC for the convention? Which convention produced Abure? Which date? Where was he elected chairman of the LP?
Have you heard of any party that secretly went to do their convention? Check the INEC rule and even the constitution of Nigeria. No ward or local or state congresses.
It is the people from the ward congresses that will elect the local government delegates. The local government delegates will produce the ones going for the state. That is how it is done.
When we talk some people will react. Where were they when we formed the party? Where were they when we formed the party in 2003?” the NLC President added.
To round off this write-up is to look at what will be the possible impact of this crisis on the popularity of the Labour Party which has only one governor in Abia State Alex Otti despite emerging in the third position during the 2023 Presidential election.Even though it has many members in the National Assembly.
Some political spectators are describing the rift as something that can cost the popularity of the party in the next election, but on the other way round, it is common for political parties in Nigeria to be in one crisis or the other as the major opposition party in the country People’s Democratic party -PDP has at different time fall into crises which were seen as the major reason behind its failure to win the 2023 Presidential election.
So NLC and the Labour Party need to sort out their differences and adhere to the rules and regulations guiding both organizations.
LP as a political party for workers and masses under whoever’s leadership should consider the review of its nomination form rates for candidates vying for positions, for low-income earners particularly workers and artisans to be able to purchase and participate in the upcoming elections.
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