NLC Orders Members to Picket Labour Party Secretariats Nationwide

The ongoing conflict between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) escalated on Wednesday, as the NLC instructed its state councils and political commission to picket Labour Party secretariats across the country.

This directive came after a meeting of the NLC National Political Commission and the leadership of the NLC State Councils and State Political Committees, which took place virtually on March 19, 2024.

The letter, signed by the chairperson of the NLC Political Commission, Titus Amba, and the secretary, Chris Uyot, was dated Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

The NLC accused the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, of financial rascality, contempt for the leadership of the NLC, and making unilateral decisions regarding the party’s national convention.

The NLC state councils and state political committees were instructed to mobilize workers to picket all the state secretariats of the Labour Party on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

The NLC political wing, the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, had previously raised allegations against Abure and the NWC in an open letter on Friday.

They claimed that the planned national convention in Umuahia, aimed at re-electing Abure as the sole administrator of the Labour Party, was illegal and lacked transparency.

In response, the LP leadership accused Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, of attempting to replace Abure as the party’s national chairman.

The LP leadership emphasized that they were not obligated to follow the directives of non-party members who were unionists.

The NLC advised Ajaero to resign as the NLC President if he wished to contest for the position of the LP’s national chairman.

They also called for the formation of a caretaker transition committee to organize a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

The NLC state councils and state political committees were also instructed to work with civil society allies, students, traders, and professionals to ensure that the picketing and mobilization were successfully executed.