The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) took another turn as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, and the Julius Abure-led faction pointed fingers over who is responsible for the party’s instability.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held on Wednesday, May 21, by the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee, Ajaero blamed the Federal Government and its agencies for allegedly orchestrating a campaign to weaken the party.
“It is the potentials that we have that is attracting all these attacks. All the agencies of government are involved in the destabilisation plot,” Ajaero said.
He added, “I call on the government to stop destabilising 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 the son of a poor man can become somebody.”
Ajaero further disclosed that mobilisation efforts were underway to reposition the party for broader participation.
“In the next one month, we will finish with sensitisation. Those who want to join Labour Party should come now, but he should be an institutional person,” he said.
He called on founding members of the party to help restore order, promising upcoming action to reclaim the party.
“We are not quarrelling with anybody. I sent a letter after the Supreme Court judgement that every worker should be on standby. In the next few days, there will be an action, to take what belong to us,” Ajaero said.
Responding to the claims, the Abure-led faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, rejected any suggestion that the Federal Government was behind the crisis.
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According to Ifoh, “We must state clearly and categorically that if there is any person or organisation that has destabilised the Labour Party or who is working to destabilise the party, it is no other person than Joe Ajaero and the NLC.”
He argued that the party was stable after the 2023 general elections until Ajaero’s alleged interference.
“It was Ajaero who went ahead to illegally, unprofessionally and unconstitutionally set up a so-called Transition Committee, which went all over the place making noise and debasing the image of the party,” Ifoh said.
He accused the NLC-backed committee of harassment and stoking division.
“It was the same Committee set up by Ajaero that was going to INEC everyday, constituting nuisance, all in attempt to destabilise the party, mobilising people, including old and retired men, including Abdulwaheed Omar, 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,” he added.
Ifoh urged Ajaero to focus on his duties to Nigerian workers. “Nigerians all over, have asked Ajero to concentrate on his primary assignment to fight for the welfare of workers,” he said.
He added that even the Ministry of Labour had advised Ajaero to refrain from political interference.
“The regulatory body in charge of the Labour Union in the Ministry of Labour has also publicly admonished Ajaero to excuse himself from matters concerning politics and to face his legitimate assignment as a defend workers interest,” he said.
“If there is any group or persons who have worked against the interest of the Labour Party, it is NLC and Joe Ajaero. So he should not shift the blame to any person, he should squarely take responsibility for what ever is happening in the party today,” Ifoh concluded.