APC using Abure to kill Labour Party- HURIWA

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress is responsible for the internal crisis in the Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The rights group, in a statement signed by Emmanuel Onwubiko, its national coordinator on Monday, noted that the ongoing crisis was APC’s strategic effort to weaken political opposition and gradually implement an authoritarian regime similar to the communist governance structure in China.

The group said that the ruling party was deliberately sowing discord within the PDP and LP to sabotage internal democracy within these opposition parties while appearing uninvolved.

The association pointed to the refusal of the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure, to vacate his position as the national chairman of the Labour Party after his tenure had reportedly expired as evidence of a seeming interference from the ruling APC.

The association alleged that the APC’s apparent support for Abure was designed to cripple the Labour Party and weaken the political influence of its key leader, Peter Obi, who emerged as a significant challenger during the 2023 general elections.

HURIWA said, “The APC is using Julius Abure to stifle the Labour Party’s ability to function effectively as a credible opposition.

“By destabilising the Labour Party from within, the APC is ensuring that the party does not pose any significant threat in future elections, particularly as Peter Obi continues to gain widespread support.”

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The group also alleged that the appointment of the former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesome Wike, as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was part of a broader scheme to destabilise the PDP from within, as his loyalty to the opposition party is now in question, given his collaboration with the APC-led administration.

The rights group further condemned APC’s economic policies, adding that the administration’s economic policies are suffocating the Nigerian people, weaponising poverty to ensure that millions remain poor and dependent on government hand-outs.

“It is as if the APC is trying to create a communist-style system where citizens are completely reliant on the state, much like what is seen in China.”