The Nigerian Labour Congress announced that it has given a fresh directive to union leaders to begin the process of mobilising their members in readiness to take over the 36 secretariats and national headquarters of the Labour Party in Abuja.
The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this on the sidelines during Wednesday’s emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the Labour Party.
In attendance were the Chairman of the LP National Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman; Chief Peter Ameh, who represented the Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi; former Labour leader, Abdulawaheed Omar; veteran unionist, Lawson Osagie and the Acting President of NLC Political Commission, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku.
However, the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of LP dismissed the looming threat in a separate interview, saying they are not intimidated.
The planned invasion comes one month after Ajaero issued a similar directive in an internal memo shortly after the judgment of the Supreme Court, which vacated the earlier judgment of the lower courts.
On March 21, 2024, Ajaero and many aggrieved unionists had forcefully broken into LP headquarters and other offices, an act Abure claimed was deliberately plotted to steal their sensitive documents and money.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Labour leader bemoaned the arrogance of the LP leadership and disregard for the rule of law, saying they cannot continue to fold their arms and watch as the Labour Party continues to sink deeper into crisis.
He said, “We are not quarrelling with anybody, and we should not allow it to be hijacked. You (The PUNCH) earlier asked if I still put the Nigerian workers on standby to take over LP offices. My answer is Yes. In fact, this is the time to move.
“I sent a letter after the Supreme Court judgment that every worker, every state council, should be on standby. In the next few days, everybody will move into action.”
Continuing, Ajaero accused the All Progressives Congress-led government of deliberately trying to destabilise the party structure.
While warning that the Labour Party cannot be hijacked by anybody, the NLC President also emphasised that the certificate of the Labour Party is still in their custody.
“Nothing has changed. Whether military or civilian government, they are afraid of the word ‘Labour’ and they will fight tooth and nail to destabilise us, whether as the Labour Party or the Labour Congress. There is no worker or Labour leader who is not conscious of this. It is the potential we have that is attracting all these attacks.
“Where on earth does a court rule when there is a consent judgment? It only happens in a banana republic. It is not applicable anywhere. It is not the Supreme Court that registered the Party, and they are not the people who will organise it for us. All agencies of government are involved in this destabilisation plot.
“Tell them to remove their hands from the organisation of the Workers’ Party. It is a sin for you to destabilise it. It should be made clear that no amount of blackmail can stop us. The NLC is still in possession of the Labour Party certificate till tomorrow. This is the only party where the son of nobody can become somebody.
“If you check the last 2023 election, you see that Okada riders won the election to go to the National Assembly. It has never happened before. You and I cannot buy a form of N10m or N100m. Those of us in the movement cannot sit down here and allow people with greed to ask you to pay N20m to pick a nomination form. If we do that, we have lost our focus on having a workers’ party,” he said.
Reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the threat of the planned takeover of their offices nationwide.
While describing the NEC meeting as ‘illegal, ‘ Ifoh said Ajaero lacks the power to take control of the party structure with his ‘rascality.’
He said, “The threat is nothing new. We are used to their rascality. Ajaero is sounding like a broken record over his resolve to invade unannounced the national and state secretariats of the Labour Party, with his armies, to take over the party forcefully.
“Again, we must state clearly and categorically that if there is any person or organisation that has destabilised the Labour Party or who is working to destabilise the party, it is no other person than Joe Ajaero and the NLC.
“Nigerians all over have asked Aajero to concentrate on his primary assignment to fight for the welfare of workers. We are calling on all genuine members of the Labour Party to distance themselves from the illegal activities of the Nenadi Usman group and ploy to manipulate members into parting with their hard-earned money through an illegal Congress they are planning.”
