Abure: You’re Encouraging Militancy Within Your Ranks – Labour Party Blasts NLC

The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, of encouraging militancy within its ranks over the unlawful protest at its national headquarters in Abuja.

Naija News recalls that scores of protesting members of the NLC Political Commission stormed the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, chanting solidarity songs and calling for the sack of the National Chairman, Julius Abure.

In a statement signed by LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party described NLC’s action of carrying out the colossal destruction of properties at its national headquarters as a criminal act, a misplacement of priority and an action done in bad fate.

LP noted that 90 percent of NLC members are not card-carrying or financial members of the party, therefore, cannot claim its ownership.

Ifoh wondered how NLC president, Joe Ajaero, would lead a band of lawless persons known to have partisan interests in other major political parties, such as the PDP and APC, against a recognized independent political party.

He added that the NLC president’s greed and inordinate ambition, had caused him to lose every sense of discretion and decency in his recent conduct.

Ifoh advised Ajaero to emulate the leadership of Ayuba Waba, Olaleye Quadri and Festus Osifo who had or are currently passing through a similar route and still maintain a working relationship with the party.

The statement reads: “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, cannot claim to be the owners of the party. The constitution also provides that no organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation can therefore not claim the 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 is 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.

“By its own constitution, the NLC cannot even 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 committee has no legal right to call an action in the nature of picketing or breaking and entering into a political party where most of them are not even members.

“The present NLC leadership is politicized. It has left its primary responsibility of defending Nigerian workers and has delved deeply into partisan 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 are currently passing through a similar route and still maintain a working relationship with the party.

“We are, however, reviewing today’s 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 labelling him a thief. We are certainly going to take legal action on matters of libel.”