Fresh crisis is brewing in the Labour Party following an official letter written by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise the newly elected chairman and secretary of the party.
Julius Abure and Farouk Ibrahim were respectively elected as chairman and secretary at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Party on Monday, March 29, 2021 at Benin City.
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But the NLC, through its President, Ayuba Wabba, in a letter dated April 12, and directed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, argued that the purported meeting and election were in clear violation of the party’s constitution which recognises the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress as the “platforms” of the party.
Wabba explained in the letter that Article 13 (2) (a) further provides that the Presidents and General Secretaries of the two central labour organisations, the Chairperson of the NLC Women Commission are members of the NEC and the National Convention of the party but they were excluded from this meeting and election which held in Benin.
This exclusion, according to Wabba, made it null and void, adding that apart from the exclusion, the meeting also violated orders of the court.
He explained, ”Due to disagreements that culminated in the factionalisation of the party and the setting up of a National Caretaker Committee in 2014, a faction of the party commenced suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/866/ 2014 between Labour Party & Ors Vs. Comrade Salisu Mohammed & Ors. After a prolonged legal battle, the parties to the dispute agreed to an amicable settlement complete with terms and conditions which were duly filed in court.
”Honourable Justice G.O. Kolawole (now JCA), in the consent judgment he delivered on March 20, 2018, stated that the Labour Party (though not a trade union), is an institutional political party of the Nigerian workers, founded, funded and promoted by the Nigerian workers through the central labour organisation, the Nigeria Labour Congress in furtherance of the pronouncement of the Supreme Court in INEC vs Musa in which the Supreme Court held: ” The provision: of section 40 of 1999 Constitution are clear.
”Their import is to allow ’every person, including public office holders and civil servants, the freedom to assemble freely and associate with other persons to form or belong to any political party, or trade union or any association for the protection of his interests. The section has made no exception and there is no provision therein limiting its application to civil servants or public officers.”
”The Justice Kolawole-court ordered the parties to conduct an expansive and inclusive national convention of the party.
”However, serial acts of subversion by AA Salam (then erstwhile chairman and now deceased), and Julius Abure (then acting national secretary) and a few others in collaboration with some INEC officials frustrated this process.
”In light of the foregoing, we would urge you to regard the purported NEC meeting for what it is, sabotage of the internal party governance, violation of the party constitution and subsisting court order.”
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