The National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of Labour Party has roles out a 90 day programme for the conduct of congresses from the ward to National Convention.
The NCC also announced that it will open an electronic registration platform targeting at least 10,000,000 new members, revalidation of old members and shutting down it’s national headquarters currently occupied by the faction led by Barr. Julius Abure.
In a communique signed by the NCC Chairman , Sen. Nenadi Usman, which it issued at the end of a well attended National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, the party said that it’s decisions is in line with the Supreme Court Judgement which affirmed that the tenure of Abure and his National Working Committee (NEC) ended since 2024. She said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be dully informed of all the processes that will birth a new executives for the party.
According to the communique, “NEC approved the expansion of the National Working Committee (NWC) structures, and the processes leading to the conduct of the All Inclusive And Expansive National Convention within 90 days in line with the consent judgment terms of settlement midwifed by INEC on 26th April 2022 and executed between the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and Labour Party LP in 27th June 2022 to include:
“Appointment of three (3) Deputy National Chairmen to Deputize the National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman in the National Working Committee (NWC) transition government, National Caretaker Committee (NCC).
“Appointment of three (3) Deputy National Secretaries to Deputize the National Secretary, Senator Darlington Nwokocha.
“Appointment of National Working Committee (NWC) members to fill vacancies in the National Working Committee (NWC) National Caretaker Committee (NCC)
“Formation of Standing and Ad-hoc Committees and it’s membership to augment process of the congresses leading to the conduct of the All Inclusive And Expansive National Convention within 90 days”.
Other decisions reached by the decision making organ of the party include, “the opening and operations of the New Labour Party (LP) National Secretariat in Abuja, FCT immediately and to communicate same to INEC to enforce the shutting down of the old National Secretariat at No.2 IBM Haruna Street Utako District Abuja FCT immediately and thereafter:
“Commence the immediate nationwide national mobilization of Ten million (10,000,000) members into the party data base within thirty (30) days
“Deployment of online registration for membership with issuance of downloadable membership cards with unique identification number system and hard copies.
“Revalidation of old membership with Issuance of downloadable membership cards with unique identification number system and hard copies.
“Ratification of membership with payment of annual membership subscription dues of N1,200 only
“Registration of Support Group and issuance of downloadable Support Group Registration Certificates with Unique identification number systems.
“NEC approved the commencement of Processes leading to the conduct of the All Inclusive And Expansive National Convention within 90 days to include: Ward Congresses, Local Government Areas, LGA Congresses, States Congresses, Delegates Election, All Inclusive And Expansive National Convention 2025”
In his goodwill message, Presidential Candidate of the party in the 2023 general election Peter Obi said that Nigerians are looking onto Labour party to save the country from the mal-administration of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Represented by former Inter party Advisory Council (IPAC) Chairman, Comrade Peter Amen said,
“Labour Party has been chosen as a favourite party to be able to deliver Nigeria from bad leadership, maladministration and corruption of the the APC government. The decision the party has taken is to reposition the party. We have a party that people so much have confidence in, to drive the process towards the 2027 general elections and beyond.
“We must work in unison; we must to be united with the Nenadi Usman led caretaker committee, we must be united with the NLC and the TUC, because when they formed this party in 2002, the vision they had for the party is to be able to defend the welfare of the Nigerian workers and the Nigeria citizens at large. It is a great challenge to us in the Labour Party to continue to have confidence that these issues will be resolved in our favour, because we are on the right path of the law, the Electoral Act, the Constitution of our party, the Nigerian Constitution and the judgement of the Supreme Court. Whatever we are doing is to be add more fresh to the decision our leaders have taken” he said.
Earlier in her address, the NCC chairman said that the party has become a threat in the political space because of its nation wide structure, hence detractors are throwing all sorts of spanners to ensure that the crisis are endless. She expressed confidence that with all hands on deck, the party will weather the storm.
“It is really unfortunate that a great party like ours that has structures everywhere in the country, there is no polling unit you go to that you will not find a nurse or a school teacher, one worker or the other. That is the backbone of Labour Party. I believe if only we can get our acts right, we are going to be the biggest party in Nigeria.
“For Labour Party to be going through all that we have been going through, it means that our detractors noticed the potentials of this party, and that is why they do not want us to make any progress. But I want to plead with you that the basic thing is that we have to look at our party.
“Anybody who wants to lead but does not want to go through the process, I think there is something wrong with that person.
“My dream is to lead a team that will make sure that these congresses and convention happen and credible leaders take over so that our party can become the party it is meant to be”.
Also in his address, the NLC President Joe Ajaero observed that Labour Party is under heavy attack because of its potentials.
“It is the potentials that we have that is attracting all this attacks. All the agencies of government is involved in the destabilisation plot. I call on the government to stop destabiliing workers’ party. All over the world Labour Party is organised and ran by trade unions. Over 57 countries have functional Labour Party, why will Nigeria be different. Labour Party is the only party son of a poor man can become somebody” he said.
In attendance at the NEC were Dr. Alex Otti, the Executive Governor of Abia State (represented), Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu the Deputy Governor of Abia State (represented), Barr Emmanuel Ugboaja, the NLC General Secretary, Comrade SOZ Ejiofor BoT Chairman, Comrade Salisu Mohammed BoT Secretary, TUC President (represented) TUC General General (represented) and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile in a counter move, the faction led by Abure has accused the NLC of destabilizing the Labour party.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the faction said,
“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to yet another illegal and purported stakeholders meeting that was held today by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC led by Comrade Joe Ajero in cohort with the Nenadi Usman and others, wherein they alleged that the Labour Party is being destabilized by the federal government because of the potential of the party.
“The NLC President, Ajero who is now sounding like a broken record, also restated his resolve to invade unannounced the national and state Secretariats of the Labour Party, with his armies, with the intention to take over the party forcefully.
“We must state clearly and categorically that if there is any person or organization that has destabilized the Labour Party or who is working to destabilize the party, it is no other person than Joe Ajero and the NLC.
“We must also state here that after the general election in 2023, the party has no issues at all, we had no faction and we had no major disagreement in the party. It was Ajero who went ahead to illegally, unprofessionally and unconstitutionally set up a so-called Transition Committee which went all over the place making noice and debasing the image of the party.
“It was the same Committee set up by Ajero that was going to INEC everyday, constituting nuisance, all in attempt to destabilize the party, mobilizing people, including old and retired men, including Abdulawaheed Omar, Comrade Ejiofor, Lawson Osagie and Prof Theophilus Ndubaku, men who should be resting after many years of serving their fatherland, to go against the interest of the party”.
Ifoh called on all genuine members of the Labour Party to distance themselves from the activities of the Nenadi Usman group and their congresses.
