The Labour Party(LP) has said the absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission at the March 27 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State didn’t invalidate the election that returned its National Chairman, Julius Abure, and members of the National Working Committee to office.
The party also accused the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its elected members of creating a crisis to defect.
National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun said this during a briefing at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
Edun’s statement comes three days after INEC announced that none of its officials attended or monitored proceedings at the disputed convention.
Abure has been at loggerheads with the leadership of the NLC over the legitimacy of his re-election.
The party’s internal rift remains unresolved as the NLC and its stakeholders continued to distance themselves from the current NWC.
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The situation escalated further when INEC responded to a request by a lawyer for a Certified True Copy of its report on the convention and the party’s constitution.
The position of the electoral umpire has since led to a chain reaction, with the NLC insisting that it has been vindicated.
The NLC subsequently set up a National Transition Committee (LPNTC) headed by Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, a former President of the NLC.
Omar on June 25 threatened to flush out Abure from the party.
But Edun said the INEC letter was wrongly interpreted.
According to the national legal adviser, the presence or absence of INEC officials does not affect the legitimacy of the national convention.
He said: “On the deliberate misinterpretation of INEC’s reply to an application by Messr Steve Adehi, SAN & Co, this letter is very clear and unambiguous and shouldn’t have been the subject of any argument. However not finding anything to hold against us, they went to import what is not contained in the letter into it. The applicant (an agent of the NLC) requested for the CTC of INEC to monitor the report of the Labour party convention 2024 and the constitution. Even though the applicant and his principal were dishonest, mischievous, dubious, and manipulative, INEC’s response was accurate and unpretentious.
“How on earth could there be an INEC monitored report when we have made it clear that INEC did not attend, a position also confirmed by INEC and is in the public domain. The NLC and its cronies including the applicant knew INEC didn’t attend. Why then ask for the INEC report and what is their business with it?
“In paragraph 3 of the INEC’s response, the commission expressed regret that it did not monitor the convention and could therefore not have an INEC-monitored report. Now, did the non-attendance of INEC invalidate the convention? The answer is capital no and INEC never said so. The law did not make it mandatory for INEC to attend any party’s convention. INEC knew they were at liberty to come or not. What the law requires is proper notice. Take note that the law did not say the failure of INEC to attend shall render the convention invalid. What then is the essence of the dishonest, dubious, and misconceived hue and cry by the NLC?”
The LP counsel warned that it can’t be intimidated or cowed by any external aggressor and wouldn’t fold its hands to watch the party being hijacked.
Edun argued that NLC’s attempt at hijacking the party was illegal and unconstitutional, adding that sections 221 to 229 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria forbid the ownership of a political party by anybody or group.
He also accused the NLC of flouting the law by applying the Congress funds towards political objectives.
According to him, sections 15(1) to 15(3) of the Trade Union Act prohibit the NLC from applying its funds towards any political objectives.
Edun said: “So where are they getting the money to cause all this trouble? Are they been paid by APC or are they flouting the law to apply the congress funds towards political objectives?
“In section 15(3)(a) political objective is said to include ‘the making of any contribution towards the funds of any political party.”
He stated that there was no injunctive or coercive order against the Labour Party, adding that “The 2018 consent judgement and the 2022 terms of settlement have been complied with by us.
Edun said: “If anyone is in breach, it is the NLC. As for the 2018 terms of settlement which was adopted as consent judgment, the court in its wisdom said ‘it shall operate to bind parties who signed it.’
“Though LP did not sign the terms of the settlement, we fully complied with it at the 2019 convention for the sake of peace.
“With regards to the 2022 agreement, the party fulfilled our own part of the bargain by appointing nominees of the NLC as Deputy National Chairman (Comrade Ladi Iliya) and National Vice Chairman (Alh Umaru Mohammed), and also nominee of TUC (Trade Union Congress), Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi as Deputy National Chairman.”