TheCable

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketed the national secretariat of the Labour Party (LP) in Abuja on Wednesday, while calling for the postponement of the party’s convention.

At the time of reporting, the police is still trying to keep the peace at the gates of the property.

The NLC is also calling for the immediate resignation or removal of Julius Abure as national chair of the LP.

Outside the terraces of the secretariat, NLC members bearing placards with different inscriptions, gyrated and sang along to solidarity songs blaring from a loudspeaker placed in a stationary van.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the NLC had asked its members in the states to picket all secretariats of the LP nationwide over the “financial rascality and contempt for the leadership of NLC” by Abure.

NLC has repeatedly accused Abure of “unilaterally trying to hold a national convention in contravention of the constitution of the party”.

BACKGROUND

Last week, the NLC and LP traded words.

The NLC passed a vote of no confidence on Abure and called for his resignation as chairman of the LP.

The NLC also alleged that Abure is running the affairs of the LP like a sole administrator.

The LP in its reaction said if Joe Ajaero, NLC president, is desperate to succeed Abure as LP chairman, he should resign as NLC president and contest during the party’s national convention.

The NLC also called for the postponement of the March 27 national convention of the party.

The convention was initially slated for March 29 but was later changed to March 27.

The leadership of the LP said the date was changed because the initial day falls on Good Friday, a very important date for the Christian faith all over the world.

The LP in its response said there was no going back on the planned March 27 national convention.

The NLC in a statement on Wednesday titled “Picketing All Labour Party Offices Nationwide” and signed by Titus Amba and Chris Uyot, chairperson and secretary of the NLC political commission, said the decision to picket was reached at a meeting with all state councils and political commissions of the congress.

“We bring you fraternal greetings from the Nigeria Labour Congress. Sequel to a meeting of the NLC National Political Commission and the leadership of the NLC State Councils and State Political Commissions which took place virtually on the 19th of March 2024, it was resolved as follows,” the statement reads.

“That given the intransigence of the National Chairman of the Labour Party to unilaterally hold a national convention of the Labour Party, financial rascality and contempt for the leadership of the NLC, the NLC State Councils and State Political Committees should mobilise workers to picket all the state secretariats of the Labour Party, scheduled for Wednesday, 20th March 2024.

“In view of the soon to be held all-inclusive national convention of the Labour Party, the NLC State councils and the NLC Political Committees should immediately embark on a statewide mobilisation of workers to join the NLC Political Commission and the Labour Party.

“The NLC State Council and State Political Committees should work with our civil society allies, students, traders and professionals to ensure that the picketing and mobilisation are successfully executed.”