NLC storms LP office, demands Abure’s resignation

…their action is unlawful— LP fumes

The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) over its planned national convention took a new twist on Wednesday, as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), stormed the party’s secretariat to demand the resignation of Julius Abure, the national chairman.

The NLC leadership also accused Abure of planning to hold a ‘secret’ convention without the input of major stakeholders.

The planned convention has pitched Abure against the NLC and the House of Representatives caucus, as the workers accused Abure of planning to destroy the Labour Party.

The workers force their way into the party headquarters at Utako, following a refusal to grant them entry into the party secretariat by security agencies attached to the office, including policemen.

Recall that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had accused Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, of making desperate attempts to replace Abure.

The allegation was a response to an open letter written on Friday by the political wing of the NLC – Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission.

The letter raised allegations against Abure and the NWC, claiming that they had put forward plans for a national convention in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, on March 27.

BusinessDay gathered that the political wing of the NLC had written a letter against plans by Abure and the NWC over the national convention planned for Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, on March 27.

“That given the intransigence of the national chairman of the Labour Party to unilaterally hold a national convention, financial rascality and contempt for the leadership of the NLC, the NLC state councils and state political committees should mobilise workers to picket all the state secretariat of the Labour Party, scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, 2024,”

The convention was said to be aimed at re-electing Abure as the sole administrator of the Labour Party, with concerns of secrecy surrounding the event.

The letter said “The political wing of the NLC deemed the planned convention illegal and is demanding the immediate resignation of Abure as the party chairman”

They also called for the formation of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

The party, however, opposed the directive, alleging that it was driven by Ajaero’s supposed desire to become the next national chairman of the party.

Meanwhile, the party on Wednesday described the forceful gaining of entrance into its secretariat by protesting the NLC workers as “unlawful”.

Obiora Ifoh, the LP national publicity secretary, alleged that the “invaders inflicted a colossal destruction of properties”, describing it as a “criminal act, a misplacement of priority and an action done in bad fate.”