The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the withdrawal of recognition for the Julius Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who disclosed this in Abuja, also revealed plans by the Congress to launch a surprise takeover of party secretariats across the states—currently under the control of Abure loyalists.
Ajaero, speaking ahead of the NLC’s upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, stated that the takeover plan would be finalised and executed soon.
“We have written to INEC, and on the day of our NEC meeting, every other thing will be decided there,” he said. “We are going to do that because that’s the way it is. Labour Party is an institutional party, owned by the trade unions.”
The development marks a deepening of the rift between the NLC and the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC), whose tenure the union insists has expired.
Tensions escalated following the party’s controversial convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, which the NLC refused to recognise. The Congress argued that Abure’s continued leadership violates an agreement previously reached between party stakeholders and the unions.
“For anybody to come and claim ownership of the Labour Party without the trade unions is laughable,” Ajaero said. “Labour Party is all about the trade union movement. It’s not an empty shell.”
Surprise Move Planned
While the NLC did not reveal a specific date for the planned state secretariat takeovers, Ajaero hinted that the element of surprise was crucial to their strategy.
“We are working on it. That’s why we didn’t announce a date. But we’ve asked every worker to be on standby,” he stated.
He added that any attempt to lay sole claim to the Labour Party without the involvement of workers would amount to “plagiarism.”
“The certificate of the Labour Party is in this office,” Ajaero declared.
The NLC has vowed to continue pushing for leadership reforms within the party, warning that the trade union movement would not allow the Labour Party to be hijacked by what it described as “charlatans.”