By Damilola Aina and Esther Blankson
The Nigeria Labour Congress has vowed to resist any plot to derail the Labour Party, especially now that it is enjoying wide acceptance by Nigerians.
The vow was made on Monday, when the leadership of the labour union stormed the national secretariat of the Labour Party at Utako in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to show solidarity with the embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, amidst tight security.
The NLC, led by its National President, Joe Ajaero, also promised to fish out those who want to usurp the party’s leadership.
The PUNCH reports that the LP has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis following an Abuja High Court interim injunction restraining Abure from parading himself as the national chairman.
Arising from the FCT court order, the party’s National Vice Chairman (South), Lamido Apapa, assumed the position of the chairman in an acting capacity.
Addressing workers at the LP secretariat, the NLC president said the party was borne out of frustration over the conduct of Nigerian politicians in recent times, stressing that there were laid-down procedures to follow before any change of leadership.
He added that under no circumstances would the labour movement allow anyone to derail the party which they worked hard to recover from impostors.
“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.
“The hour has come. The Bible says, ‘from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of God suffereth violence. And violence taketh by force’. 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 is 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,” Ajaero said.
Meanwhile, the court on Monday refused to vacate the interim order restraining Abure; the National Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Ibrahim, and two others, from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
Counsel for Abure, Alex Ejieseme (SAN) had prayed the court to vacate the interim order, saying the restraininh order had worsened the division in the party, to the extent that four groups in the Imo State chapter held parallel primaries.
But Justice Mnuazu declined the prayer and rather ordered all parties to ensure the speedy filing of their processes.
The judge adjourned till April 20 to hear all pending applications.
Source: The Punch
