Abure's Labour Party disassociates party from purported Bauchi NEC

(Nigeria) Labour Party, LP, through its National Working Committee, NWC, has disassociated the party from a purported Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party which sought to hold a parallel National Executive Council meeting in Bauchi State.

Deputy National Chairman of the party, Ladi Illiya, who chaired a meeting of party stakeholders, including most of the 36 State Chairmen and Secretaries in Abuja, said the party remains committed despite ancits of paid agents to distabilise the party, as they restated their support Julius Abure, as National Chairman, as confirmed by the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Asaba a forthright ago.

Illiya, who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, said: “Those who are gathering in Bauchi to hold a fake, unconstitutional NEC meeting do not represent our party.
“We held our authentic constitutionally approved NEC meeting in Asaba about two weeks ago. State Chairmen and Secretaries from the 36 states, who are here today were in attendance. So, who then are the NEC members in Bauchi?”

Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, who read a prepared address, said: “In furtherance of the directives from their paymasters, about six of our former but suspended members of the National Working Committee of our party, The Labour Party are meeting in Bauchi for a fake and unlawful National Executive Council, NEC.
“Surprisingly, this is coming barely two weeks after the party held its very successful NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State that was attended by virtually all NEC members including 36 state chairmen and Secretaries, all members of the National Working Committee, most of the elected members of the national assembly, leader and presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Peter Obi, party trustees including the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, amongst others.
“One of the invitees of the purported NEC is our leader and presidential candidate, Peter Obi who incidentally on Monday was on a national television where he referred these characters as paid agents and hirelings.
“He also made it clear that he had never met with Apapa and that there were no issues in the party and that the reported crisis is just the “rascality” by paid agents bent on derailing the party to pursue justice.”

*Julius Abure, National Chairman of Labour Party

Ifoh said Obi noted that “In the Labour Party, we have no issue. Julius Abure is our chairman and those things you’re seeing are just the handiwork of paid agents who are trying to create confusion."
Confirming that they represent the authentic party, he said: “Only last night, all our 36 member-elect of the House of Representatives and our eight Senator-elect were represented in a caucus meeting held with the National Working Committee.
“Then again, I ask, who are these NEC members they are hoping to attend their jamboree in Bauchi?
“Article 13:2A of our party constitution is clear on the composition of the Labour Party NEC. They include our state Chairmen and Secretaries, and all other officers as have been mentioned above.
“The constitution did not state that expelled and suspended officers of the party shall convene a NEC of the party.”
He also alleged that the All Progress Congress, APC, was stocking the division in Labour Party.

He said: “In their desperation to satisfy their paymasters, who we have already established to be two governors, one from South West and another from South East, while also using a top member of the APC National Working Committee, who go in between them, this transactional arrangement will see them recruiting their usual customers, touts, market women, street hawkers and people who are not members of the party.
“We also heard from a reliable source that they will attempt to have a blanket suspension of all our elected members of our NWC, a power that is alien and unheard of. They have also been dangling carrots to some of our leaders to either join them or be suspended.
“This is unfortunate because, were it not for the ex-parte order of the FCT High Court mischievously granted and sustained by Justice Hamza Muazu, which dangerously exposed the res (subject matter), that is the party, to danger instead of protecting it, these matter would have died a natural death.
“We have it on good authority that their sponsors are leaving nothing to chance and have vowed to continue to instigate crisis in Labour Party with the intention of benefiting from the instability which they hope will affect the party's case at the tribunal.”