Threat To Attack Labour Party, A Blackmail On INEC, Security Agencies — Party

By Daniel Dafe

The Labour Party leadership has reacted to a statement issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero threatening to attack the offices of the Labour Party across the nation.

The reaction was continued in a statement on Tuesday signed by Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary, Labour Party.

Adding: “Ordinarily, we would have ignored that threat but there is need to assure our teeming members of our commitment to keep the fate and resist all forms of rascality and intimidation from persons who think themselves to be above the laws of the land.”

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“We therefore see NLC’s latest threat as pure blackmail on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and security agencies to do the wrong thing.

“The Supreme Court is clear about party leadership in which the courts have no business. The Supreme Court stated that courts cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a political party. The Courts didn’t sack the NWC nor held the tenure to have lapsed. We advise Joe Ajaero and his ilks to seek legal advice if they can not comprehend a simple court pronouncement,” the party said.

Continuing, the oRty, said: “Nigerians will recall that the Labour Party executive that was elected in 2019 whose tenure was to expire in June 2023, was extended in Asaba for one year by the National Executive Committee of which NLC attended and played a key role. The tenure was to end in June 2024, however, before the end of that duration, National Convention was conducted on March 2024 in line with our party constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act as amended which ushered in the present leadership. There has never been any vacuum in the leadership of the Labour Party.

“We must note that we didn’t go to court with Nenadi Usman or any other person on account of leadership because leadership was not in dispute. We only went to court to compel INEC to give us uploading code for Ondo state governorship election. This was the case Nenadi Usman and Mr Nwokocha came to join.

“We had warned them against the illegality of convening an unauthorized NEC meeting in Umuahia. Every outcome of that meeting is inconsequential, null and void, and of no value. They are again aggregating in Abuja this Wednesday in furtherance of their illegality.”

According to the statement, “threats to attack offices and organizations have become the hallmark of the NLC under Ajero,” saying that “in 2024, NLC forcefully broke into our national headquarters carting away valuables.”

“The recent threat to invade our office was leaked to us by some members of the NLC, hence we alerted the nation.”

The statement said further: “Ajero should by now learn that attacking law abiding citizen, hooliganism and rascality is not a trait of a good unionist. He should be concerned more about workers welfare. He has since politicized the Labour Union in Nigeria and he is no longer fit to occupy that exalted office. We have once advised him to quit unionism and join politics but he will not listen.

“We must state categorically that NLC has no right to attack any Labour Party office because there is no trade dispute. Based on the trade dispute Act, you can not picket or declare a strike without a trade dispute. In any case, we do not have any staff of the NLC in our employment. There is no Union in our offices. their action is purely an illegality.

“Let it be known that we will take every legal means to deal with Ajero and his gangsters should they attempt to resort to self help. We will not hesitate to write to the Registrar of Trade Union to discipline them if they resort to taking laws into their hands.

“Finally, we will seek the protection of the security agencies but where they defy the security agencies, we will have no option but to mobilise our members across the nation to resist them. “