*Apapa Faction Drags Him, Others To Court Over Convention
*Suit Fixed For April 4
BY CHUKS COLLINS, AWKA
DESPITE protests the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), past leaders of the union, as well as members of the Labour movement, the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure, was ‘re-elected’ for a second term on Wednesday, March 27 at the party’s controversial National Convention held at the Grand Seasons Hotel in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Chairman of the convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu, declared Abure re-elected at a convention that witnessed a disturbing trend, as no fewer than five hoodlums said to be distributing inciting leaflets critical of the party leadership were arrested and whisked to the Police headquarters.
The suspects were accused of trying to disrupt the convention and were quickly removed from the venue. A party source alleged that the intention of the boys and their sponsors was to destabilise the convention.
Abure has been engaged in a conflict with some prominent members and the leadership of the NLC, led by Joe Ajaero, who has called for abortion of the convention, alleging that as owners of the party, they were not consulted or carried along.
Meanwhile, the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party has described the exercise as a sham.
According to the Anambra State factional Chairman of the party, Peter Okoye, “this is not a convention. We are on top of the matter; it’s pure illegal.
“There was no Ward congress, no local government congresses, no state congress and now who and who elected the delegates that is elected the NWC members ?
“The NLC is not there. TUC is not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BoT members were not there too.
“The matter is coming up on April 4 for hearing.”
