The battle for the soul of the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) toughened on Tuesday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has voided the return of the National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his National Working Committee at a national convention recently held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the NLC Political Commission Stakeholders meeting in Abuja, the Congress passed a vote of no confidence on the purported convention and the leadership that emerged from it.
The communiqué, made available to newsmen in Abuja, was signed by Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Chairman, NLC Political Commission; Mr Abdulwahed Omar, former President, NLC; Mr S.O.Z. Ejiofor, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Labour Party, among others.
According to the communiqué, the NLC approved the constitution of a Transition Committee under the leadership of the NLC Political Commission to manage the affairs of the party in the interim.
The stakeholders resolved that the transition committee should conduct the affairs of the party pending the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention.
They also noted that, once constituted, the transition committee should fully take over the secretariats of the party all over Nigeria.
“That the Transition Committee shall immediately set up an asset recovery process for all the properties of the Labour Party.
“The Transition Committee shall also ensure that all the cases of fraud, impersonation, and forgery of government documents pending against a few discredited former officers of the Labour Party are forensically audited.
“It should ensure that the culprits are diligently prosecuted as demanded by leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.
”It is unfortunate that the actions of these few dishonourable characters have splashed mud on the white satin of Labour Party,” the stakeholders held.
They held that the Transition Committee should, within three months of its constitution, ensure the conduct of an inclusive national convention of the Party.
They added that the process should start from ward congresses to local government congresses to state congresses, culminating in an all-inclusive and expansive national convention in Abuja.
”In pursuance of the foregoing, the Transition Committee is mandated by the stakeholders meeting to begin the process of revalidating current members of the Labour Party.
“Also the registration of new members through the issuance of new membership cards and receipt of membership dues for the purpose of the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the Labour Party.
“It is expected that this mobilisation drive will yield, in the first instance, a total membership strength of 10 million,” they said.
The stakeholders said, with the communiqué, that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all the relevant security organisations in Nigeria were hereby notified of the new developments in the party.
They agreed that INEC and others should be officially notified immediately to recognise the Transition Committee as the interim leadership of the Labour Party.
They reiterated that the Labour Party is a party for all Nigerians regardless of ethnic, religious, regional, social, and economic orientation or status.
