Osaretin Osadebamwen writes on the protracted battle over the control of the Labour Party and how the party appears to be swimming in and out of crises.
KEEN observers and those hoping that the Labour Party would serve the purpose of good governance may be having a rethink as a result of the protracted leadership challenge that has engulfed the party over the National chairmanship of the party between Lamidi Apapa and the current chairman Julius Abure. However, following the restraining order by an Abuja high court, a new leadership crisis seemed to be brewing. The crisis this time revolves around the recent controversial convention that was held in Nnewi, Imo State, but which major stakeholders of the party claimed did not get their endorsement. In spite of the stiff opposition that confronted the Comrade Abure-led Labour Party (LP), the Nnewi convention of the Labour Party has come and gone.
The journey to Nnewi was marked by various contending interests, some of who believed that the Labour Party was a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), for building an institutional based nation, to the admiration of its countrymen and the international community. These advocates of good governance and institutional independence sought to use the Labour Party (LP) as an incontrovertible organization to achieve this. To achieve this, the campaign for an all-inclusive convention was mounted by the leaders of the Labour Movement and the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi.
Spokesman of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Tanko Yunusa stated that the LP presidential candidate for the concluded elections had requested that Abure should allow for an all-inclusive convention that would encompass the various stakeholders of the party as well as the groups that supported the party pre-2023 general elections.
“(We need to) meet with responsible and interested people such as the TUC and NLC, stakeholders, the Obidient group — young generation people who are interested in seeing Nigeria work. Meet with leaders who have different ideas that can midwife us into a greater height.” Tanko Yunusa said
He continued, “His Excellency, Peter Obi, made concerted efforts in trying to intervene at any point we have this particular issue and trying to improve.
“When the issue of the national convention came up, he (Obi) suggested to the national chairman that, because we are bigger now, we need to have a wider consultation.
“All of these were the suggestions that he (Obi) made. And not only did he make those Suggestions, he practicalised them because he met with the members of the National Assembly.” Apparently, they all fell on deaf ears. The Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had its plan.”
The belief was that when the all-inclusive convention was held, it would bring our party stronger and more united to engage on other national issues before the 2027 election.
Disagreement over the convention became public when the leader of the national assembly LP caucus of the party Hon. Afam Ogene complained over the planned convention. It reasoned that the party cannot hold a convention when its ward and state congresses. The open protest irked the party leadership and the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Pastor Ibiora Ifoh countered describing the lawmakers as bad ambassadors.
In all of this, the Nigerian Labour Congress which midwifed the registration of the party and has acted as the buffer in stabilizing the party at the peak of the leadership tussle in the party also kicked against the convention it believed was not all inclusive.
In a widely circulated publication by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Political Commission, entitled: A Misadventure in political Mischief, Mismanagement and Misdemeanor Gone Too Far, the NLC expressed its reservation on the planned convention by the Abure led executive, the political unit of the Labour Party was tough in its view over Abure led Labour Party.
The political arm of the NLC then demanded that Abure should resign as chairman of the party, following his administration of the Labour Party as what is described as that by a sole administrator. A leadership style it considered alien to running a political party. Needless the party believed to be supported by the Labour Union. It went further to pass a vote of no confidence on Abure as it demanded he resigned.
“The leadership of the NLC passes a vote of no confidence in Mr. Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party. We demand his resignation immediately and we demand the constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention of the Labour Party.”
That all-inclusive convention as championed by the NLC, TUC and the Presidential candidate of the party was not to be as the Abure led Executives had perfected its plan to hold the convention in the East as against the South-South it wrote the independence.
The letter indeed ruffled the feather of the Abure-led NWC, the National Spokesman of the Party, Pastor ObiorahIfo in a counter statement demanded the resignation of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero instead. It said that the Labour Leader had descended into an arena he was not qualified to engage, particularly as leaders of the Labour union are not members of the Labour Party.
Pastor Ifoh in the statement, argued that the Labour Party has a life of its own and where the president feels strongly about its leadership, he, Comrade, Joe Ajaero should resign as president of the Nigerian Labour Congress and throw his hat in the ring to contest the Labour Party Chairmanship in the convention that has turned controversial.
In further defence of the Labour Party’s position insisting the convention would hold March 27, the party said the NLC was interfering with party activities.
“We must note that undue interference by the Nigeria Labour Congress on the affairs of the party has become worrisome and it has become needful to emphasize here the distinction that the Labour Party has a life of its own different from that of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“In fact, the 1999 Constitution States clearly that once a political party is registered, it has a life of its own whereby it can run its own affairs without any interference.
“It will shock Nigerians to know that members and officials of the NLC are not card-carrying members of the Labour Party.
The Labour party further stated that “All over the country, the NLC members have been found to be supporting either the APC or the PDP.”
Party observers would wonder, at what point NLC’s interest in the party was becoming worrisome interference? At the peak of the leadership tussle between Lamidi Apapa and Julius Abure over the National Chairmanships of the Labour Party, the NLC led by Joe Ajaero was at the Party Secretariat in support of the embattled Julius Abure.
During that visit, barely 48 hours after the Lamidi Apapa group took over the party following the restraining order on Abure and four others, Ajaero stated that “today, we say enough is enough. Never again will any human being enter here under any guise, under any order. Even if we lose our leadership, we have to meet as trustees of this party to decide the next line of action.”
“For anybody to illegally declare himself either as chairman, secretary or anything, we urge all workers anywhere in the country, where you see such people, arrest them and bring them to us. Now, we have come to take our party, we have come to establish our party. As the fastest-growing party, you can see that envy and jealousy are crippling in. The people that are pioneering this to sabotage us, let’s announce here that we know your fathers.
“If you continue this way, we will go after your fathers. We leave it here until we finish our private discussion. Let it be known to the whole world that the NLC fathered LP and we will not abandon our child.”
Many observers would be at loss over the recent development in the party wondering at what point does the Nigerian Labour Congress crossed path with the Abure led Labour Party which it stood to defend in its crisis period such that it does not now consider her a buffer.
The development may have sparked a new phase of the leadership crises in the party. As the Abure organized and led Nnewi convention had important stakeholders such as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Trade Union Congress (TUC) and others shut out. Another major query was that the convention held without the presence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This situation may invalidate the exercise in Nnewi and section 82 of the electoral Act as amended required that “Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of “merger” and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.
The Act further stated that “The Commission may, with or without prior notice to the political party attend and observe any convention, congress, conference or meeting which is convened by a political party for the purpose of – (a) electing members of its executive committees or other governing bodies; (b) nominating candidates for an election at any level.
More specifically, it says: The election of members of the executive committee or other governing body of apolitical party, including the election to fill a vacant position in any of the aforesaid bodies, shall be conducted in a democratic manner and allowing for all members of the party or duly elected delegates to vote in support of a candidate of their choice.
Before the election, in a last-minute move to stop the convention the National Secretary, Ms Oluchi Opara had written the INEC to intimate the Commission that the convention does not carry the mandate of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party.
Opara said in her correspondence dated 23rd March and received 25th March that “I know as a fact that at no time was the constitutionally mandatory quorum for meetings of both the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee met to deliberate and set a date, venue and time for the national convention.
“I also state that we learnt about this proposed illegal and unconstitutional National convention from the rumour mill and social media that the convention had originally been slated to be held in Edo State before it was changed to Umuahia, Abia State on 27/03/2024.
“Again, it was belatedly moved to Nnewi, Anambra State in order to deny those who ordinarily have the right and intention to attend (Belatedly in the sense that the required seven days’ notice as provided in page 12 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022, was not strictly adhered to, having, been submitted only six days to the purported convention).
Mostly he has failed to meet up with the necessary requirements be written in the Commission’s guidelines and regulations for Political Parties 2022 by his refusal to submit the list of planning committee members 7 days before the unapproved National convention.
With the seeming loss of critical stakeholders comprising of the Nigerian Labour Congress, The National Assembly members of the party, its Presidential candidate and the Obidient movement, the NLC may be headed for a serious political challenging period.
Although Opara cited the INEC guidelines and the electoral Act, Pastor Ifoh has brandished the letter of notification it sent to the commission on the 4th of December, 2023 and received same date intimating the commission of its planed convention.
The letter stated it plan to hold the convention on 29th March 2024 at Uyi Grand Hotel, Benin City, Edo State. By this letter the Abure LP was in compliance with the section of the electoral Act as amended demanding 21 days’ notice before convention.
However, the changes that occurred before the convention for the date and venue may have altered the level of compliance, as the independent National Electoral Commission may be working on going to Uyi Grand Hotel on the date communicated to her while the alteration in the final date of 27th March and also the change of venue from Edo state in the south-south to the final venue chosen as Anambra state in the South East.
With a new shift from the court on the restraining order following the allegation of perjury and impersonation of the comrade Abure quashed from that court to the legality or otherwise of the convention that produced him, Observers would wait to see what becomes of the Labour Party.
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