The leadership crisis within the Labour Party escalated yesterday as the Labour Party National Transition Committee (LPNTC) demanded the immediate resignation of Chairman Julius Abure, disrupting a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting with Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate in attendance.
The labour leaders, who forcefully entered the venue of the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja convened by former presidential candidate Peter Obi, insisted that Abure’s tenure, along with those other executive members, would expire by the end of this month.
Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, chairman of the Labour Party National Transition Committee (LPNTC), expressed the committee’s determination to forge ahead.
“The issue at hand is the expiration of Abure’s tenure and that of the National Working Committee by the end of this month. We cannot afford a leadership vacuum. We have attempted to resolve this issue peacefully. If we can find a resolution without resorting to conflict, that would be ideal.
“Today’s events suggest that we must either find our way forward or make our way forward. Rest assured, we will not tolerate lawlessness. If anyone attempts to undermine our efforts, we are more than capable of responding,” Omar said.
According to him, the committee had been granted the mandate by stakeholders to organise a new and all-inclusive national convention.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi addressed the labour leaders outside the party secretariat, emphasising his intention to reconcile all aggrieved party members.
Obi urged the party leadership to continue their efforts to bring together all dissenting party members and supporters.
“I will ensure that every discord within the party is addressed promptly. Leaders of the party must come together and determine the future of our organisation,” Obi said.
He stressed the importance of the recent reconciliation between the party and estranged former leaders, led by former Deputy National Chairman (South) Lamidi Apapa, stating that it would greatly benefit the party.
“The reconciliation we witnessed today is critical for the growth of our party. Everyone must reconcile with each other,” Obi said, adding that “reconciliation is a priority for me. It is something I do every day, even within my own family. When we have disagreements with our loved ones, we reconcile. Today, during the meeting, I emphasised that I have come to initiate the process of reconciling our party.
“The individuals present here are members of our family whom we must reconcile with. We will sit down together and decide the future of our party. I am ready for a reconciliation meeting whenever you choose.”
After the crisis, the embattled Labour Party national chairman, Julius Abure, commended Obi for trying to make peace among the warring parties in the party.
In a statement released by Labour Party national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Abure expressed satisfaction with Obi’s leadership role in revitalising the party and steering it towards becoming a formidable entity capable of bringing about the desired new Nigeria.
Abure said, “The Labour Party appreciates your reconciliation efforts, and we will provide our full support. We are not the aggressors here.
“We have always sought peace because we cannot approach future elections with divided loyalty. We have made it clear that we are focused on the 2027 elections, which is why we are the only party to have nominated our candidate.
“We know where we are heading and refuse to be distracted. We will undoubtedly reach our destination of creating a better nation for Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) national transition committee have called on Julius Abure to resign from his position as national chairman of the party.
The NLC, together with some party members, gathered at the Labour Party headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday to demand the his immediate resignation.
Reports have it that the LP crisis has taken another dimension but Abure seems to have got the backing of some powerful people in the party.
Led by acting chairman Abdulwaheed Omar, NLC chanted solidarity songs and called for Abure’s resignation, citing the expiration of his tenure as party chairman.
Abure has consistently said he was duly elected during their convention in Asaba, Delta State earlier this year.
However, upon arrival at the party’s headquarters, NLC members found the gates shut and were met with resistance from security officials.
In an attempt to gain entry, the police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
The protesters persistently urged the security personnel to open the gate as their voices echoed in the air.