A firm stance has been taken by the Nigerian Labour Congress leadership against recognizing Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, following his recent re-election.
The re-election of Abure as the party’s national chairman took place during a national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State on Wednesday.
The convention also saw the return of all members of the National Working Committee, while the slots for representatives of both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress remained vacant.
In response to the convention’s outcome, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah stated that the congress would not support the party under Abure’s leadership.
Upah labeled the convention as a sham and declared that the re-election of the national chairman was invalid in the eyes of the NLC.
He expressed, “It’s an illegality, a nullity. The entire process was a charade! Nothing can validate such blatant disregard for rules.”
When questioned about labor’s next steps, the NLC’s head of information responded via text message, saying, “Just wait and watch.”
The party’s national convention had already sparked controversies in the past week.
On Wednesday, at least five individuals were reportedly apprehended at the convention grounds for allegedly trying to incite trouble.
Those arrested were distributing provocative leaflets criticizing the party’s leadership.
Subsequently, they were handed over to the police for interrogation.
In a joint communiqué signed by Abure and the National Secretary Umar Farouk, the party disclosed that LP’s presidential flag bearer Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti have been approved to run as the party’s candidates in 2027.
The statement mentioned, “The ongoing convention, considering the track record of the presidential candidate before, during, and after the 2023 general election, recommended that the 2027 presidential candidacy of the party should be reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the party’s national leader.”
Moreover, the party endorsed the accomplishments of its Governor in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, and suggested reserving the 2027 Abia State gubernatorial ticket for him.
The party’s leadership further urged President Bola Tinubu to take action against the escalating insecurity, especially in Kaduna and other northern states.
The party also advocated for the restructuring and decentralization of the policing system to allow for regional, state, and local police.
“The ongoing convention also expressed concerns regarding the increasing insecurity in the country, particularly in Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, and other states. The convention calls on the President, as the Armed Forces’ Commander-in-Chief, to safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians, which is the government’s primary duty.
“We also endorse a comprehensive restructuring of the security framework to tackle the current security threats in the nation. The convention supports the decentralization of the Nigerian Police Force to enable regional, state, local, and community policing,” the statement highlighted.