Amid the worsening crisis within the Labour Party, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has nullified the national convention that reinstated Julius Abure and his National Working Committee (NWC) to power.
In response, a transitional committee was set up to oversee party affairs temporarily, with elections for new officers scheduled within three months.
Stakeholders, including prominent figures like Abdulwahed Omar and Peter Obi, had demanded a forensic audit of LP accounts amidst allegations of corruption and fraud.
The resolution, passed at an NLC meeting, called for the recognition of the transitional committee and vowed to prosecute those implicated in wrongdoing.
“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 on 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 secretariat 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.
“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,” the communique reads in part.
While LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the NLC’s actions, LP supporters staged protests in Abuja, affirming their support for Abure and denouncing external interference.
Security forces prevented the protesters from accessing the NLC stakeholders meeting venue, reflecting the heightened tensions within the party.
