Scores of Labour Party supporters on Monday took to the streets of Abuja to protest the continuous harassment of the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and attempts by the Nigeria Labour Congress to take over the leadership of the party.
The protest comes in the wake of a planned meeting of NLC stakeholders to discuss the future of LP and set up a caretaker committee to take over the affairs of the party.
But the protesters, who wielded placards with various inscriptions that read “If you are not for Abure, go and seek another political party” and “Abure is our chairman”, vowed that such plans will never come to reality.
Solidarity songs of ‘We want Abure’ rent the air as the protest march took off from the new Federal Capital Territory chapter of the party secretariat to the Gudu venue of the NLC stakeholders meeting.
They were, however, prevented by security operatives from gaining access to the premises.
Addressing the protesters, a woman leader of the delegation, Faith Onyeze, emphasised that if the NLC insists on fighting the party, it should be ready to face the wrath of Nigerian women.
She said, “I am speaking on behalf of every lady party woman in the FCT. We are calling on Comrade Ajaero to leave Abure alone because in fighting him, he is fighting the women. Abure is our voice and he is the one speaking for us.
“Ajaero should have come out to defend our votes during the last election. Since he didn’t do that, he shouldn’t come to us now. We don’t want him to come and destroy our homes because mothers are the home builders.”
One Ubaka Oweka also said the party belongs to the Nigerian masses, especially the youths.
“We the unemployed people in this country are asking Ajaero to leave LP alone because we know what we are doing. The party belongs to all of Nigeria.
“One man cannot impose himself over all stakeholders. If you look at the logo of the Labour Party, you will see equal rights, opportunities and social justice. Ajaero should face the problems of the Nigerian masses,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the embattled leadership of the party on Monday unveiled a new LP S
Secretariat in the FCT.
Addressing the party supporters, National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, said with the unveiling of their ultra-modern complex, the party is set for greater heights.
Ifoh also used the opportunity to warn the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and his ‘co-travellers’ that LP is not for sale.
According to him, neither the constitution of Nigeria nor the Labour Party recognizes the NLC’s claim of owning the party.
He said, “Yesterday, I addressed the press and told them what is happening there (NLC stakeholders meeting) is a jamboree of drama boys. They like to do drama and seek media attention. Of what use is a gathering that has no legal backing? The constitution of Nigeria nor the electoral act does not back you. The party constitution doesn’t even know you existed. This is because most of them are agents of the APC and PDP.
“In conclusion, I want to let you know that 2027 for some of them has started, and that is why they want to cage this party. They want to put it in their pockets and decide who they will sell it to in 2027. But we are saying that it will not work. The Labour Party is for you and me. Nobody will sell or transact with our name. We alone will decide who becomes the president and governors of this country.”
Speaking in the same vein, the chairman of the FCT chapter of the party, Peter Diugwu, thanked all party aspirants who sacrificed their resources to provide a decent office space for the party to operate.
