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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has daisd it has sacked the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP).
In a communique issued at the end of its political commission stakeholders meeting in Abuja, the NLC passed a vote of no-confidence on the March 27 national convention that re-elected Abure as chairman.
The NLC said it approved the constitution of a transition committee at its stakeholders’ meeting, under the leadership of the NLC political commission, to manage the affairs of the party in the interim.
The stakeholders resolved that the transition committee should conduct the affairs of the party pending the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention.
“That the Transition Committee shall immediately set up an assets recovery process of all the properties of the Labour Party.
“The Transition Committee shall also ensure that all the cases of fraud, impersonation and forgery of government documents pending against a few discredited former officers of the Labour Party are forensically audited.
“It should ensure that the culprits are diligently prosecuted as demanded by leader of the Labour Party – Mr. Peter Obi.
“It is unfortunate that the actions of these few dishonourable characters have splashed mud on the white satin of Labour Party,” it said.
The stakeholders held that that the transition committee should, within three months of its constitution, ensure the conduct of an inclusive national convention, adding that the process should start from ward congresses to local government congresses to state congresses, culminating in an all-inclusive and expansive national convention in Abuja.
“In pursuant to the foregoing, the Transition Committee is mandated by the stakeholders meeting to begin the process of revalidation of current members of the Labour Party.
“Also the registration of new members through the issuance of new membership cards and receipt of membership dues for the purpose of the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the Labour Party.
“It is expected that this mobilisation drive will yield in the first instance a total membership strength of 10 million,” the communique added.
The stakeholders asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to take note of the new developments in the party.
They said a correspondence would be dispatched to INEC for official recognition of the transition committee as the interim leadership of the LP.
“Labour Party is a party for all Nigerians regardless of ethnic, religious, regional, social and economic orientation or status,” the stakeholders said.
Stakeholders meeting illegal- LP
Meanwhile, Labour Party has described the NLC stakeholders meeting as a “jamboree by drama boys.”
In a statement issued on Tueasday, LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the meeting was illegal and its outcome a nullity.
The LP spokesperson asked members of the party to disregard the meeting, maintaining that NLC lacked the power to decide the affairs of the party.
“NLC does not have any proprietary right over the Labour Party and therefore cannot continue to lay claim to its ownership.
“The leadership of the Labour Party has read with dismay the attempt by the Nigeria Labour Congress, a body not recognized by the Constitution of our great party or any of our known laws for that matter, to arrogate to itself powers it does not possess.
“It claimed to have sacked the Comrade Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the Labour Party, after holding an illegal assembly of a handful of aggrieved former members of the party and some social media tigers who are not known to be card-carrying members of our party.
“The group is unknown to the Labour Party and as such lacks powers to convene a meeting of stakeholders to deliberate let alone take any decision which will have a binding effect on a legally constituted party leadership.
“There is no disputing the fact that the Abure-led NWC led the party into becoming a national brand.
“With the support of members and Nigerians across the length and breadth of this great nation, the party now boasts a number of Senators, members of the Federal House of Representatives as well as State Assemblies. Need we talk about the pace-setting Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti?
“As a law-abiding party, we will seek the protection of the court of law should the need arise. We, however, appeal to our teeming supporters to remain calm because, in the end, justice will prevail,” Ifoh said.