AUSTIN OBOH
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under Joe Ajaero, its president, on Wednesday, took a break from its national minimum wage negotiations with the Federal Government and made a dash for another national interest. The union stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja to protest the party’s convention planned for the end of this month, March. The congress also demanded the sack of the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure. The NLC leadership accused Abure of planning to hold a secret convention without the inputs of major stakeholders, and argued that he was planning to destroy the party. Scores of protesting NLC members gathered at the LP national head office, chanting solidarity songs and calling for the sack of the party leadership. They were, however, prevented from gaining access to the party secretariat by security operatives posted to the area to maintain order. At the heart of the protest is the suspicion that Abure had perfected plans to run the party as a sole administrator.
LP, NLC AT LOGGERHEADS
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Labour Party (LP) had, on Saturday, locked horns over the forthcoming national convention of the party being planned by the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee and scheduled to hold by the end of March.
While the NLC said it was not informed about the plan to hold the national convention, the Labour Party argued that nothing concerns the Congress in the conduct of its affairs and that the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, should not meddle in what doesn’t concern it.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairperson and Secretary of NLC Political Commission, Comrade Titus Amba and Comrade Chris Uyot respectively, the Congress described the planned convention “a misadventure in political mischief, mismanagement and misdemeanour gone too far”.
NLC said it expected the Labour Party being led by Abure after judgement of court of appeal to recognise the statutory membership of organised labour in the NWC of the Labour Party, constitute the Board of Trustees of the party and conduct an all-inclusive national convention in line with the court judgement.
NLC said, “The Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission has received news of the clandestine scheduling of a supposed National Convention of the Labour Party in March 2024 by the National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.
“This news came as a shock to us as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was never in anyway informed of any plans to hold the Labour Party National Convention.
“We find this development as further aberration and extrapolation of the mismanagement of the Labour Party through a very strange leadership style of sole administration by the National Chairman of the party.
“Mr. Julius Abure, contrary to the solidarity spirit and camaraderie ethos of the Labour Party, has decided to run the party as a sole administrator, the same allegations that have been hurled at him by the numerous persons he is fighting in the party.
“We affirm that Abure does not have the sole proprietorship of the processes for a national convention. Our position and interventions in the Labour Party have been in three dimensions.
“First is to defend the Labour Party from being maligned and hijacked by fifth columnists especially establishment political parties who have invested huge resources to recruit some members of the national leadership of the Labour Party to undermine the party.
“Second, the NLC Political Commission have continued to intervene in the leadership crisis in the Labour Party to ensure that the Party operates an efficient and effective system of management that prioritises inclusiveness, transparency and accountability not the sole administrator system that has been foisted on the party’s psyche by Mr. Abure and his ilk who are not committed to the ideology of Labour Party.
“Third, our continued intervention in the affairs of the Labour Party is to ensure that the court judgements, agreements and organ decisions of the Labour Party are kept to the letter.
“Instead of sticking to agreements, Mr. Julius Abure has deployed all manner of subterfuge to undermine the efforts of NLC to reposition the Labour Party as the number one political party in Nigeria including shunning invitations to meet with the NLC Political Commission.” But in a swift reaction, the spokesman of the party, Obiora Ifoh, advised Joe Ajaero to resign as NLC President to contest LP Chairmanship rather than criticising members of the NWC, adding that nothing can stop the party’s convention as planned and that constitution was clear on eligible participants. Ifoh said the rascality of th current president of the NLC, Joe Ajero, has destroyed the successes already recorded, adding that it must be noted that the NLC and its political commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.
He said, “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 Barrister 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, INEC and to the party on the need to conduct a national convention.
“In fact, the NLC has queried even the rationale behind the one year extension which was graciously granted by the NEC in session in Asaba, which is in line with the party constitution.
“The leadership of the party in its wisdom has decided to yield to their agitation for a convocation of a national convention.
“Article 14:4b of our party constitution mandates the National Secretary in consultation with the National Chairman to ‘issue notices of meetings of National Convention, NEC, NWC amongst others. “It is in the exercise of this power that the national chairman and national Secretary have called for the convention following the decision of the national executive council of the party. “It is therefore ironical for the same NLC which has been agitating for a convention to now be demanding the rationale for the call for a convention.
“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 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 emphasis here the distinction that the Labour Party has a life
of its own different from that of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“In fact, the 1999 Constitution states clearly that once a political party is registered, it has a life of its own whereby it can run its own affairs without any interference.
“The Electoral Act and the Constitution provide that no organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation cannot claim the ownership of the Labour Party.
“The constitution of the party is clear that it is only those who subscribe to the party and those who are financial members of the party are the owners of the party and therefore can have a say on the affairs of the party.
“The interference of the present leadership of the NLC on the party is really choking and we can hardly breath.
“It is this NLC leadership which pressured on the Party not to give His Excellency, Alex Otti, the governorship ticket for the 2023 general election on the ground that he was allegedly not workers’ friendly when he was a Chief Executive of a bank.
“But today, that same Alex Otti is doing Labour Party proud with the work he is doing in Abia state.”
NATIONWIDE PROTEST
The conflict between the NLC and the Labour Party escalated on Wednesday after the labour union instructed its state councils and political commission to picket the party secretariats across the country.
The directive from the NLC was contained in a statement on Wednesday and signed by the chairperson of the NLC Political Commission, Titus Amba, and the secretary, Chris Uyot. The letter was dated Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
According to the letter, the directive for protest came from a meeting of the NLC National Political Commission and the leadership of the NLC State Councils and State Political Committees, which took place virtually on March 19, 2024.
ABUSE OF POWER
However, the National Working Committee of the Labour Party faulted the nationwide picketing of its secretariats by the NLC, describing it as an abuse of power.
The party’s National Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, expressed disappointment at the manner in which the NLC handled the situation.
While saying it was wrong for a movement that symbolised the masses’ struggle to picket a political party, the NWC member accused the NLC leadership of being partisan.
He said: “Nigeria is a democratic and lawful country. Therefore, people should know the boundaries of the law. If the NLC feels it is their right and it is lawful to picket the Labour Party, it is fine. But if it is not lawful, they will face the consequences of the law.
“For crying out loud, there are workers’ issues to look into. There are issues of minimum wage, health, fuel removal crisis, and insecurity everywhere. The NLC is supposed to be concerned about the welfare of Nigerian workers, not picketing a political office.
“Let them continue to picket the party office and see where it leads them. They can’t stop the party from breathing. After the issue between the party and the NLC, it is not worth this kind of drama they are playing.
“There is a lot of power play going on, and it is not healthy for our generation. That level of power play cannot help a system that wants to be rejigged. Even if the NLC is the founder of the Labour Party, the party is an institution on its own and should be allowed to breathe.
“Again, the NLC should not show any sign of partisanship in terms of practical politics because they are supposed to be facing the government of the day. They are not even supposed to participate in political activities. It is something that should be done underground and not to be playing to the gallery in the manner they are doing.
“If they are accusing Abure, the chairman and secretary of the NLC Political Commission have been there for more than 15 years. Is that democratic? I am not comfortable with what is playing out here.”
The spokesman for the Labour Party Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, however, called for caution. According to him, there is an ongoing effort at a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, to resolve the rift between the NLC and the party leadership.
“We are working round the clock to resolve our differences with the NLC. You know, they are part of us. There is an ongoing meeting of LP stakeholders, lawmakers, and others in Asaba to discuss it and other issues,” he said.
INTERVENTION FROM CONCERNED BODY
Worried by the development in the party, the National Consultative Front (NCFront), a front line stakeholder’s caucus in the Labour Party led by Prof Pat Utomi, sued for peace.
In a statement on Wednesday by Barr Promise Adewusi, Director of Administration, NCFront, the body said it had followed, with keen interest, the controversies evolving around the proposed National Convention of the party scheduled to hold in Abia State at the end of March, 2024, warning that the gladiators might be playing into the hands of the party’s detractors who where eager to see the party crash like a pack of cards after its surprising success at the 2023 elections where it made a very significant impact.
According to the body, there is no gainsaying that the Labour Party had emerged, too suddenly, as the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics, a major success, which also has its drawbacks, part of which is the desire of its adversaries to see it demobilized and its enviable strides halted.
“This must not be allowed to happen as history will not spare all those found culpable as tools, if the party is made to play into the hands of its enemies and naysayers,” it said.
The group continued: “The only way to shame those who would rather see the Labour Party crumble in this circumstance, is for contending forces to sheathe their swords and allow good reason to prevail in the party, especially by putting an immediate hold on the proposed national convention to allow for a profound process of stakeholders’ consultations to blossom towards the germination of a broad based National Convention Committee to organize an all-inclusive Convention and Congresses for the Party; capable of birthing a respectable National Working Committee that draws its legitimacy from the will and consensus of the party’s membership as envisioned by the party’s constitution.
“The NCFront therefore adds its voice to the call of all well-meaning stakeholders and members of Labour Party to call for the postponement of the proposed National Convention to allow for more consultations and the cooling of nerves as this is certainly not a time for personality contests or altercations among the various caucuses and forces in the party but for reasoned, strategic consultations that will ensure inclusivity in the affairs of the Labour Party for future strength and triumph.”
It added: “Finally, while we congratulate all allies, and stakeholders of the Labour Party under the leadership of Barr Julius Abure for the epochal feat achieved by the Party in the 2023 elections, we wish to charge the Party leadership to immediately pause and rally key stakeholders of the Labour Party, including the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, National Consultative Front initiated Big Tent of the 3rd Force Movement, elected political office holders on the Platform of the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement in general towards a major political consensus on the proposed National Convention to the utter failure and disappointment of the adversaries of the Labour Party.”
At this point, observers have expressed anxiety to see the NLC return to the national minimum wage negotiating table where its presence and inputs are clearly more wanted in the service of Nigerian workers who have been most hit by the economic downturn. It is therefore no mere conjecture that the more time the NLC spend fighting the leadership of the LP, the less time it has for its primary assignment. In addition, observers believe a major conflict in the LP may seriously compromise its political health ahead of the elections in Edo and Ondo states.
