Labour Party Clashes With Nigerian Labour Congress, Asks NLC President Ajaero To Resign If He’s Interested In Julius Abure’s Position

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP) has asked the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, to resign from his current position if he must contest for the national chairmanship of the party.

The LP on Saturday also accused Ajaero of desperately seeking to replace its embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure.

The Labour Party made the allegations while responding to an open letter written on Friday by the political wing of the NLC, the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission.

It was reported that the NLC Commission on Friday passed a vote of no confidence on Abure over allegations of corruption made against him.

In a press release signed by Chris Uyot, NLC Political Commission Chairperson, the union had declared its support toward the investigative actions initiated by Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate during the 2023 general elections.

The NLC Commission had accused Abure and the party’s NWC of proposing a ‘secret’ national convention in Umuahia, Abia State capital on March 27 that will re-elect Abure to continue running the Labour Party as a “sole administrator.”

Reacting to the letter in a statement titled “Resign as NLC President to Contest LP Chairmanship, Labour Party advises Joe Ajero,” issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party said that the leadership of the party would not take orders from unionists who were not card-carrying members of the party.

Ifoh in the statement noted that the said national convention planned to be held in Umuahia on March 27 would go on as planned.

“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to a press release titled ‘A misadventure in political mischief, mismanagement and misdemeanour gone too far’ written by the NLC’s Political Commission as an agent of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“The NLC letter did not come to us as a surprise or a shock. It was long expected before now, having known that the NLC was going to engage itself in this misadventure.

“Nigerians will recall that in 2014, NLC has been involved in a war of blackmail and attrition against the Labour Party and its leadership. It was only recently, following the civil and diplomatic approach adopted by Julius Abure when he assumed leadership that he was able to get the then President of the NLC, Ayuba Waba, and the then President of the Trade Union Congress, Olaleye Quadri, to a truce where the NLC, TUC and Labour Party agreed to work together in harmony.

“Unfortunately, the rascality of the current president of the NLC, Joe Ajero, has destroyed the successes already recorded. It must be noted that the NLC and its political commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress has written several letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission and to the party on the need to conduct a national convention,” Ifoh stated.

He further stated that the leadership of the party eventually yielded to the agitation for the national convention, which was fully backed by Article 14:4b of the party Constitution.

According to the Labour Party spokesperson, if Ajaero and his loyalists are not contented with the provision, the NLC president should be advised to quit his position and officially join the race to wrest power from Abure.

However, Ifoh urged the unionists to consider becoming members of the party at ward level as genuine politicking starts from the grassroots.

He said that “At this point, the leadership of the party wants to ask the NLC, what exactly do they want? If Joe Ajero is interested in the leadership of the party, he is therefore advised to resign as the President of the NLC and join in the contest for the National Chairmanship of the party that is scheduled for the convention on the 27th of March, 2024.

“We have advised the NLC before now that party politics is played at the ward level and not at the national level. If NLC is interested in taking the leadership of the party, it should go and engage in the mass mobilisation of its members to join the party at the grassroots.

“It will shock Nigerians to know that members and officials of the NLC are not even card-carrying members of the Labour Party. All over the country, NLC members are supporting either the APC or the PDP.

“We must note that undue interference by the Nigeria Labour Congress on the affairs of the party has become worrisome and it has become needful to emphasise here the distinction that the Labour Party has a life of its own different from that of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“We therefore want to advise the NLC and its commission that it should focus only on its statutory responsibilities of defending the workers and the workers’ rights.

“In conclusion, we note that the Labour Party will be going ahead with our party programmes and our convention will be held. We have consulted with our stakeholders and the consultation is ongoing and we will continue to consult until March 27 when the new leadership of the party will emerge.”