*Calls For Shift Of Convention
THE National Consultative Front (NCFront), a caucus in the Labour Party (LP), has called for immediate resolution of the crisis involving the leadership of the party and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
NCFront, which made the call in a statement by its Director of Administration, Mr. Promise Adewusi, on Wednesday, March 20, in Lagos, followed the picketing of the LP national secretariat in Abuja earlier in the day to press home its demand for the immediate resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure.
NCFront, led by Prof. Pat Utomi, said it had followed, with keen interest, the controversies around the proposed LP National Convention scheduled to hold on March 27 in Abia State, urging both the NLC and LP to resolve the issue amicably.
The leadership of NLC stormed the national secretariat of the party to call for the postponement of the party’s planned national convention, shutting down offices in the process and demanded Abure’s sack over alleged financial rascality and contempt for the leadership of LP.
“There is no gainsaying that the LP has 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 demobilised 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.
“The only way to shame those who would rather see the LP crumble, in this circumstance, is for contending forces to sheathe their swords.
“We must 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,” NCFront.
The caucus said the consultations must be allowed to blossom towards the creation of a broad-based National Convention Committee to organise an all-inclusive convention and congresses for the party.
This, it stated, was capable of birthing a respectable National Working Committee (NWC) that would draw its legitimacy from the will and consensus of the party’s membership, as envisioned by the party’s constitution.
It added: “The NCFront, therefore, adds its voice to the call of all well-meaning stakeholders and members of LP to call for the postponement of the proposed national convention to allow for more consultations and the cooling of nerves.
“This is certainly not a time for personality contests or altercations among the various caucuses and forces in the party. It’s a time for reasoned, strategic consultations that will ensure inclusivity in the affairs of the LP for future strength and triumph.”
NCFront congratulated all allies and stakeholders of the party, under Abure’s leadership “for the epochal feat achieved by the party in the 2023 elections.”
Deputy President of NLC’s Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, while addressing journalists during the picketing in Abuja, said the Congress had passed a vote of no confidence on Abure, alleging that he convened a national convention of the party as if he had sole proprietorship over it, and called for his immediate resignation.
The protesting union members carried placards, with inscriptions, ‘Bye bye to Abure, Labour Party is our party,’ Our party, our hope, ‘Away with corrupt leaders in the party,’ among others.
Ndubuaku said the picketing was to express workers’ grievances towards Abure’s administration of the party, adding that Nigeria is not the only country that has a political party backed by organised labour.
He stated: “Why would our own be different. The essence of registering a Labour Party in this country is not only to become a president or office holders, but also to create a viable opposition.
“Any country where there is no any viable opposition, there would be dictatorship. The reason we set up this party is to have good governance in this country.
“There have been court judgments declaring Labour Party as been owned by the NLC and there has been intervention by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), telling Abure to appoint members of Board of Trustees (BoT).
“They have also told Abure to organise an all-inclusive convention, but what we now saw is a notice of a convention that we do not know about.
“We do not know who are the delegates that are going to be at that convention and even the elected officers in the National Assembly (NASS) are not aware of this.”
He noted that a day before Abure issued the notice of the convention, he was with the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the members of the Commission at the Congress headquarters in Abuja, but did not informed them about the planned convention.
“All we are saying is that we do not want Abure; he should resign and go. He cannot be the sole administrator of Labour Party,” he said.
Also speaking, NLC’s acting General Secretary, Mr. Bello Ismail, said the Commission had been engaging Abure on issues concerning the party, but he failed to inform them about the convention.
Ismail said Abure did not follow due process concerning the plans for the party’s convention, adding: “We were also thinking that he was going to organise a convention in line with the understanding with organised Labour.
“But Abure, knowing that he can never agree to an all-inclusive convention, wanted to do the convention by himself.
“Those in the NLC Political Commission have put in a lot of efforts in the party and we would insist that all democratic norms are fulfilled.
“We will insist that workers take back their party. We want a convention where all the stakeholders, workers, youths, informal workers, among others, are involved.
“The party is now in the hands of usurpers, who are looking for N30million or N40million for the purchase of forms. excluding the people who founded the party.”
General Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Chris Uyot, insisted it was wrong for Abure to plan a convention without consultation with the stakeholders of the party, vowing that the Commission would not allow the convention to hold.
“We are not going to have a dictator in our party; it is not going to be possible. Nigerian workers are democratic and they support democracy.
“Nigerian workers owned this party and would ensure they take hold of their party and will drive out the dictators,” he stated.
