Political Analyst for Effizzie Magazine
John Umeh
On Tuesday, Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), issued a letter to union leaders, instructing them to begin mobilizing their members to take over the 36 Labour Party (LP) offices and the national secretariat in Abuja.
The directive was communicated through an internal memo obtained by Effizzie Magazine sources in Abuja.
Ajaero’s order follows Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, which overturned a previous judgment made by lower courts.
This move echoes the events of March 21, 2024, when discontented union members stormed the LP headquarters and other offices. The National Working Committee at the time claimed this invasion was a deliberate attempt to steal sensitive documents and funds.
Ajaero, however, emphasized that they could not sit idly by while Abure and his team ignored the Supreme Court’s ruling.
He stated, “As we warned him a year ago, Nigerian workers and genuine members of the Labour Party will always reclaim what is rightfully theirs, no matter how long it takes. This communication urges every worker in Nigeria, all genuine Labour Party members, and supporters of democracy to prepare to peacefully take back all Labour Party offices nationwide.”
“The leadership of the NLC Political Commission, along with other concerned Labour Party stakeholders, will issue the necessary directives. We are also notifying all security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service, that it is their constitutional duty to enforce the Supreme Court’s judgment.”
“We expect their cooperation as we uphold the rule of law. Any failure to do so will make our country appear like a banana republic. Nigerian workers and true members of the Labour Party will not stand by and allow unscrupulous individuals to undermine the country’s laws and the Supreme Court’s well-founded ruling.”
Ajaero expressed disbelief that, despite the court’s decision, Abure and his alleged associates continue to act as national officers of the party. He criticized the LP leadership’s arrogance and disregard for the rule of law, which, he argued, led to the earlier invasion of party offices and the secretariat.
To address the leadership crisis in the party, Ajaero suggested that the surviving members of the LP National Executive Committee appoint an interim leadership to oversee an inclusive National Convention, in accordance with the party’s constitution and the consent judgment.
He also called for the removal of Abure and his allies’ names from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
Ajaero concluded, “We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission, which has always pledged to align with court rulings regarding leadership issues in the Labour Party, to fully implement the Supreme Court’s ruling by removing any references to Mr. Julius Abure and his National Working Committee from its records.”
Attempts to reach LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, for comment were unsuccessful. However, Alhaji Umar Farouk, the party’s National Secretary, told our correspondent that a statement would be issued in response to Ajaero’s threat.
“We will release a statement soon. This threat is nothing new. We are accustomed to their behavior,” he said.
