The Labour Party’s leadership crisis came to a head on Thursday as seven members of the National Working Committee of the Party, announced the National Vice-Chairman (South), Lamidi Bashir Apapa, as the acting chairman of the party, replacing the suspended National chairman, Julius Abure.
The state chairpersons of the party in Abuja took back the party secretariat which was alleged to have been taken over by thugs who seized and sealed the office on April 6.
The Chairman of Edo State LP, Ogbaloi Kelly, said that the National Working Committee (NWC) is a subordinate organ to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
“Therefore, when a faction of it comes to take laws into its hands, it becomes a total nullity.
“Those who are taking this action are members of the party who have since been suspended, and as at the time they took this action, their suspension had not been lifted.
“Therefore, we are saying here that the 36 state chairmen have come to retake their possession.
“These miscreants who took over the office do not have the authority to control this matter, but we here have the authority and law to be in charge of the party and we affirm Abure.”
Mr Kelly said that even the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) affirmed Mr Abure as the chairman in their communique.
“We have come here to tell the world that the action of this faction is a total nullity and should be disregarded because the action does not follow the content of the rules and constitution of the Labour Party.”
Cashmir Agbo, chairman, Enugu State Labour Party, said that there was a need for party members to be guided by the rules and laws of the Constitutional provisions and the laws of the land and the party.
Mr Agbo said that Mr Abure remains the authentic Chairman of the Labour Party in Nigeria and there was nobody except the National Executive Committee that could remove him.
