The leadership of the Labour Party, on Wednesday, expressed strong opposition to the Nigeria Labour Congress’s (NLC) announced plans to occupy all Labour Party offices across the country.
This reaction follows a directive from NLC President Joe Ajaero on Tuesday, calling for union members to prepare for what he described as an effort to reclaim the party from its current leadership.
In a statement released in Abuja by the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party claimed the NLC’s move was an attempt to tarnish the image of Julius Abure, the party’s National Chairman, especially in the eyes of electoral and security bodies.
He said, “Ordinarily, we would have ignored that threat, but there is a need to assure the teeming members of our commitment to keep the faith and resist all forms of rascality and intimidation from persons who think themselves to be above the laws of the land
“We therefore see NLC’s latest threat as pure blackmail on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and security agencies to do the wrong thing.”
“Threats to attack offices and organisations have become the hallmark of the NLC under Ajaero. In 2024, NLC forcefully broke into our national headquarters, carting away valuables. That matter was reported to the police. The recent threat to invade our office was leaked to us by some members of the NLC; hence, we alerted the nation.
“Ajaero should by now learn that attacking law-abiding citizens, hooliganism, and rascality are not traits of a good unionist. He should be more concerned about workers’ welfare. He has since politicised the Labour Union in Nigeria, and he is no longer fit to occupy that exalted office. We have once advised him to quit unionism and join politics but he will not listen.
“We must state categorically that NLC has no right to attack any Labour Party office because there is no trade dispute. Based on the Trade Dispute Act, you can not picket or declare a strike without a trade dispute. In any case, we do not have any staff of the NLC in our employment. There is no Union in our offices. Their action is purely an illegality.”
“The Supreme Court stated that courts cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a political party. The courts didn’t sack the NWC nor hold the tenure to have lapsed. We advise Joe Ajaero and his ilk to seek legal advice if they cannot comprehend a simple court pronouncement.
“Let it be known that we will take every legal means to deal with Ajero and his gangsters should they attempt to resort to self-help. We will not hesitate to write to the Registrar of Trade Unions to discipline them if they resort to taking law into their own hands.
“Finally, we will seek the protection of the security agencies but where they defy the security agencies, we will have no option but to mobilise our members across the nation to resist them.”
