•As NLC orders Apapa-led exec to vacate office
•No amount of intimidation can stop us -Abure
•NLC must not involve in illegality -Arabambi warns
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The crisis over the tussle for leadership of Labour Party (LP) took another twist, yesterday, as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) stormed the party secretarial in Abuja and ordered the Lamidi Apapa-led executive to vacate office or risk being arrested.
NLC President, Joseph Ajaero, who led the union’s delegation, said the labour union fathered LP and that in a situation where the party had crisis in its leadership, the Congress, which serves as the party’s trustee, is empowered to convene to decide the next course of action. He emphasized that no one can take over as new leader of the party without the NLC’s congress approval.
“Let it be known to the whole world that the NLC fathered LP and we will not abandon our child,” He said.
Ajaero spoke to journalists at the LP secretariat in Abuja before going into a private meeting with the party’s embattled national president, Julius Abure,
He claimed that the purpose of the visit was to rid the party of what he referred to as “rodents” trying to illegally enter their property and vowed that the Congress would resist any attempt to sabotage the party with everything within its powers.
He said: “For sometime now, we have not been visiting our house we decided to visit our house this afternoon after getting some information that there are some rodents trying to move into our house and we have come with some insecticide to fumigate the house from any rodents that is illegally trying to enter our property. So that is why we are here, incidentally, we didn’t see any rodents but we will comb around and see whether there is any. The LP is a child of circumstances. It began, when we lost almost all confidence in the existing political parties and we felt that the LP will be the ideal political party that will represent our ideological persuasions. In other words, that was why the LP was formed. For anybody or group of think that they can sabotage or derail our ideological move, we will resist them with the last drop of our blood. This party was formed by the NLC and TUC. This is our party. Nobody can come from the blues and declare himself as the chairman or secretary of our party without our consent. It is not done.
The Labour leader ordered workers to apprehend any body causing trouble for the party that they come across and threatened to confiscate their property.
“Such people, if they attempt to come here next time, all their property, all their houses, their residential houses, we will occupy them where ever it is located. Then they will know that all that they have was given to them by Labour. Today, we say enough is enough. Never again will any human being enter here under any guise, under any order. Even if we lose our leadership, we have to meet as trustees of this party to decide the next line of action. For anybody to illegally declare himself either as chairman, secretary or anything, we urge all workers anywhere in the country, where you see such people, arrest them them and bring them to us.
On his part, Abure said no amount of intimidation or deceit would stop him from pursuing and reclaiming the party’s mandate which he said was freely given at the presidential elections.
“Let me appreciate the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for this solidarity visit. I want to state here clearly that I remain committed to the struggle for a new Nigeria. I want to say that no man no man can stop an idea whose time has come.
“The time has come for Nigerians to take back their country. A new Nigeria I believe is possible and no amount of harassment intimidation. No amount of falsehoods, no amount of falsified stories will derail us from our pursuit. We refuse to be distracted. We will continue to pursue our court case. We are in court because the stole our mandate so we will remain in court till that mandate is recovered. We will not rest on our oars until we reposition Nigeria for greatness.”
However, National Publicity secretary of LP, Abayomi Arabambi, has issued a warning to the NLC to refrain from engaging in illegality, burglary, unlawful entry and political brigandage.
Arabambi stated this in a statement responding to Ajaero’s declared war on opponents of the suspended LP national chairman, Julius Abure. The NLC and its affiliate, according to Arabambi, were founded and anchored on the principle of defending the interests of the Nigerian people rather than an individual or group, and as such, must, out of good conscience, uphold the union’s sanctity at all times.
“What happened at the Labour Party National Secretariat today should not have if the leadership of the union have the interest of the party and the Nation at heart. Abure and three others should be allowed to carry their cross.”
“They were aware that an FCT High court today, 17th of April 2023 sustained the restraining order against Julius Abure and three others until determination of the motion on notice but went ahead to publicly fraternise with Abure who had earlier forced his way into the secretariat against a court order
“It is pertinent at this juncture to remind Mr Joe Ajero that he is not above the law and should note that he was once a bitter loser some years ago to the immediate past NLC president when he Joe Ajero formed the United Labour Congress (ULC) thus Labour party is not an avenue to display such childish rascality he is known for and we cannot be threatened by him.
“Lastly we advise the infantile Joe Ajero not to think he is above the law and we will used all judicial power as enshrined in the constitution to deal with this issues. Let it be known that Labour party Secretariat can not be used by criminal element to force change of power in Nigeria as we are law abiding citizen
“Finally we dared the NLC leadership to carry out their threat of invading the court on the next adjourned date at least to show that he has power over and above the constitution.”
Since the general elections, the LP has been engulfed in crisis. Recently, a seven members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) announced that Lamidi Bashir Apapa, the LP National Vice-Chairman for the South, would take over as acting party chairman in place of suspended chairman Julius Abure. This move deepened the crisis that had already been roiling the party.
The NWC members, led by Apapa and Arabambi based their decision on the judgement of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court which restrained Julius Abure from parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.
Meanwhile, the party’s 36 state chairman has given Abure a vote of confidence to remain national chairman despite court order, the party is now split between two sides.