The Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa led-faction of the Labour Party, LP, has accused the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi and President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero of attempting to disrupt democracy in Nigeria and also wanting to overthrow the democratically elected government of Governor Hope Uzodinma ahead of the governorship election in Imo state.
The faction disclosed this in a statement signed on Thursday, November 9, by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, titled ‘Attempted political and economy conquest of Nigeria and Imo state by military wing of NLC led by Mr Joe Ajaero and his Anambra political warlord and God father, Mr Peter Obi’.
In the statement, the attention of the Chief of Defence Staff, National Security Adviser and the Inspector General of Police were called upon for quick security intervention.
The statement reads in full, “The urgent attention of Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa led National Working Committee, NWC, of Labour party, LP, has been drawn to well orchestrated plans by Mr Joe Ajaero a known leader of the militant group of an outlawed Mr Peter Obi faction of the Labour Party to captured Nigeria and Imo State and turned it to an Occupy Territory under the Control of Anambra state war lord Mr Peter Obi
“Our party fears has now been confirmed by the directives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, unions in the aviation industry on Wednesday the 8th day of November 2023 for the withdrawal of all flights to Owerri, Imo State, from all airports in Nigeria with consequences that will affect other international flights and local flights across the country
“The aviation unions involved in this political harakiri or seppuku via a joint statements issued and signed by their General-Secretaries Comrades Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, Abdul Rasaq Saidu, and Umoh Ofonime includes inter-Alia: The National Union Of Air Transport Employees, NUATE; Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN; Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, ANAP; National Association of Aircraft Pilots And Engineers, NAAPE.
“The Peter Obi/Joe Ajaero madness crystallizes to a satanically controlled and possessed Evil organizations where their controlled military wing of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, audaciously declared a sitting Governor and Chief Security officer of Imo State His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma persona non grata in all airports and gave further unconstitutional directives to all aviation workers (both public and private) to withdraw all services to all Owerri flights (inwards and outwards) from any airport in Nigeria with effect from midnight of 08/11/2023.
“This treasonable felony act by the Joe Ajaero led military controlled wing of Peter Obi support group of Labour party was to protest the failed coup he clandestinely plans to overthrown democracy and Democratically Elected Legitimate Administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR administration.
“Our party had expected the leadership of the Labour Union to concerned themselves as a champion of workers’ rights with beacon of hope for the nation’s labour force but we’re rather interested in overthrowing violently the Legitimate President of Nigeria and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.
“However, recent events have eroded the mission of Founding fathers of Labour Union in Nigeria and had further casted a negative aspersions and shadow on the credibility Joe Ajaero, who is now enmeshed in a dual identity crisis as his failures to maintain a clear distinction between his primary role solely in defense of workers’ interests and its secondary involvement in partisan politics, particularly Joe Ajaero support to installed by all means supreme Court ousted and Former Labour party Governorship candidate in Imo state Sen Athan Achonu as the next Governor.
“The crux of the planned protest and economy lockdown in Imo state has now precipitated a new wave of concerns about Ajaero’s dual identity role in the upcoming Imo State governorship election where the Peter Obi Faction of Labour Party and their co traveler , the political arm of the NLC, is fielding Sen Athan Achonu as candidate for this election despite his removal by the supreme Court.
“This same Sen Athan Achonu who has been ousted and Declared Illegitimate by Supreme Court, and Ajaero, being from Imo State, want to used the NLC’s machinery to cause anarchy, make Nigeria ungovernable by undermining and waging WAR against the President of Nigeria and incumbent Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodima, in their further disagreement with the judgement of supreme Court which dismissed Peter Obi empty appeal under 2 minutes and a criminal attempt to bolster Sen Athan Achonu chances with the declaration of an industrial action in Imo State just days before the election, citing alleged worker rights violations.
“Nigerians need to know that Joe Ajaero’s NLC despite a court order restraining the them from strike, pressed on with the “Occupy Imo” protest turned chaotic, with the NLC president attempting to enforce the strike and was confronted by workers who disagreed with the action and the police had to intervene to prevent potential violence.
“It’s very Obvious that what is going in the deceptive protest is an attempted POLITICAL AND ECONOMY CONQUEST OF NIGERIA AND IMO STATE BY Mr Peter Obi attempting to cause an Overthrown of the Legitimate Civilian Administration of Nigeria under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“To the uninformed and ignorant folks still shouting occupy Imo state as echoes by Joe Ajaero now must realize that what is going on in Imo state and Nigeria by extension is beyond invasion but a conquest through a well organized and well orchestrated Settler Colonialism that is well funded from Anambra born Mr Peter Obi.
“Dear Imo State indigenous People, by the time the duo of Mr Peter Obi/Joe Ajero are done, all Imolites will realize that you no longer have a home talk less of your Imo state.
“To all Nigerian and Imo State Political Elites, who always want to sound ‘politically correct’, they are coming to replace you with their play of victimhood card to fool all the unsuspecting youths, individuals and Imo state people in general who don’t know Joe Ajaero and Mr Peter Obi are at war to conquer our country and Imo State.
“The criminal declaration of persona non- grata -status against a sitting Governor in his home state is not only a treasonable felony acts, but a wholesome executive rascality and jokes of the century that had casted doubt on the NLC’s commitment to the welfare of workers and but rather an open display which ultimately suggested that Joe Ajero prioritizes political interests over the genuine concerns of labor.
“Joe Ajaero’s in ordinate ambitious conquest has ultimately created a deep conflict of interest within the union and had cause an irreparable damaged to the credibility of the Nigeria Labour Congress since workers no longer have faith in the NLC’s ability to protect their interests without succumbing to partisanship.
“A simple question begging for an answer is what is the rationale for the Nigerian Labour Congress shutting down Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, over a local matter that occurred between the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and workers in Imo state.
“Is this not madness? So, because of what happened to one man in only one state, the whole of Nigeria should shut down, and flights in and out of the nation’s capital should be halted with antecedents loss to Nigeria economy just to satisfy one man’s ego.
“How is this punishment inflicted upon the entire Nigerian nation affecting Hope Uzodinma or Imo State?
“If you stop people from flying into Imo, does that not help Uzodinma win the election scheduled for Saturday?
“Ajaero is from Imo and cannot deny that he went there to campaign for the Labour Party candidate. This is very dictatorial of Joe Ajaero. The NLC under him serves his personal agenda rather than the national interest.
“Joe Ajaero NLC leadership has loss it’s focus and can not be representing the true interest of the Nigerian workers with his political affiliation of the factional Labour party while grandstanding as the Number One Labour Citizen in Nigeria. His tenure as President of the NLC is the most chaotic, fraudulent, unfortunate and unpatriotic that was against the tenet of the dynamic leadership of the Labour Union founding fathers like Pa Michael Athokhamien Ominus Imoudu, Pascal Bafyau, Comrade Adams Oshiomole , Comrade Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar And Com Ayuba Wabba whose sole interests are the welfares of the Nigerian working class.
“Labour Party wishes to advise the President and Commander in chief of the Armed forces Federal Republic of Nigeria Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR that there is urgent need to de-Merge the Nigerian Labour Congress which was founded in December 1978, as a merger of four different organisations: the Nigeria Trade Union Congress, NTUC, Labour Unity Front, LUF, United Labour Congress, ULC, and Nigeria Workers’ Council, NWC.
“It’s therefore a matter of urgency that the Minister of Labour and Employment must take drastic measures to de-merge and re- register the following from the present Labour Union: Labour Unity Front, LUF; United Labour Congress, ULC; Nigeria Workers Council, NWC.
“The Nigerian workers deserves an uncompromised leadership that upholds Labour Union core mission that is devoid of partisan politics but with only strict adherence labor advocacy.
“Labour Party calls on the Nigerian Armed forces to be on the alert to defend our country through all lawful means from this Mr Peter Obi/Joe Ajaero mutiny.
“Further more the current status of the duality of Joe Ajaero has eroded the very foundation of the Nigerian Labour Congress and can not continue to serve the workers it was designed to represent.
“We here by asked the Chief of defence staff and the Inspector General of Police to move to protect our National heritage and mobilizes troops to halt the bitter protest of this group of Ethnic bigots, arsonist, irresponsible irredeemable irredentist as led by Joe Ajaero and Mr Peter Obi.
