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  • Invasion of LP’s secretariat show of shame, rascality – Abure

    Invasion of LP’s secretariat show of shame, rascality – Abure

    The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Julius Abuse has said the invasion of the party’s secretariat by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was a show of shame, rascality, abuse of office and of the law of the land. 

    The NLC on Wednesday led workers to the party secretariat to protest the planned convention of the party slated for March 27, in Umuahia, Abia State capital. 

    In a statement on Thursday by the acting National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, Abure said the party informed all the stakeholders including the NLC. 

    Abure said he had discussions with the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero on several occasions over the convention. 

    The Labour Party chairman alleged that Ajaero had an ulterior motive, saying the leadership of the party would not allow him (Ajaero) to hijack the party.

    Read Also: BREAKING: NLC shuts LP secretariat, demands Abure’s sack

    The statement said: “What we saw was a show of shame, a show of rascality, an abuse of office and an abuse of the law of the land. 

    “Nigeria Labour congress is subject to the law. NLC under Joe Ajaero is not above the law and the law precludes Ajaero and the leadership of NLC from taking law into their hands. Where they besieged the office, broke the fence, destroyed the gates, unlawfully took possession of the Secretariat and destroyed properties worth millions of naira. Properties stolen including monies made for the payment of salaries and other official purposes. This is unfortunate. It is becoming unbecoming. 

    “I must state today that the leadership of NLC under Joe Ajaero is on the part of destroying the successes we have recorded in the 2023 general election.

    “I had expected that as a responsible trade union centre, a responsible labour leader; he should have teamed up with the Labour Party to see how we can team up together to make the country better. Unfortunately and ironically too, the NLC is the one that is on warpath against the Labour Party. 

    “I must state clearly that Ajaero as NLC President has not been able to organise a successful strike action. Not even a single protest or even picketing government establishment in order to bring the government to accede to the numerous requests of workers. As we speak, there are unfair labour practices meted out to workers by several organisations in the country. I have not seen Joe Ajaero go to such organisations to picket them.

    “Over the past few years, NLC has been claiming ownership of the Labour Party. l must state clearly that NLC is not the owner of Labour Party. The party is not owned by NLC. The law is very clear that you cannot picket an organisation where you do not have your workers. We are not the employers of NLC and they don’t have the legitimate reason to picket our office.

    “We have no trade union dispute with NLC, there is no notice issued to us that we have a trade union dispute with NLC. This is clearly an abuse of office and abuse of the laws of the land.

    “Let me also state here that the propaganda they have been carrying around that we are planning a secret convention is totally false. The NEC met in April 2023 in Asaba and granted the permission that the convention must hold in one year. We started planning for the Convention since then. We communicated with INEC as requested by the law. We have also informed all the stakeholders including NLC. I have discussed the issue with Ajaero on several occasions. NLC on their own has written to INEC on several occasions on the need to hold the convention, we are surprised that the same INEC is the one that is asking that convention should not hold again. He has ulterior motives and we will not allow him to hijack the party.”

  • Abure running LP as personal business, says Edo NLC

    Abure running LP as personal business, says Edo NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Edo state council on March 21, accused the national chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, of running LP as a personal business.

    Edo NLC, while picketing the state’s secretariat of LP on Ogbelaka Street, off Sokponba Road, Benin, over alleged financial rascality and contempt of the congress by Abure, declared that the lawlessness would no longer be allowed.

    NLC’s Edo team, which was led by its vice chairman, Suleiman Abubakar, noted that LP belonged to the congress, saying the NLC should be carried along in every decision while warning that the congress would not allow Abure to impose any candidate on them as the new national chairman.

    Read Also: NLC, Abure leadership fight dirty over Labour Party

    Abubakar said: “We were directed across the 36 states of Nigeria to picket all LP’s offices. We ought to have done the picketing on Wednesday, as directed by the Political Commission of NLC, but because we were unable to mobilise our members, we decided to shift it to today (Thursday).

    “Abure is running LP as his personal property. Everybody should be carried along. Abure has announced the date for LP’s national convention. He wants to hand-pick and impose a candidate on us. This is not the time to hand-pick and impose on anybody.

    “The way forward is for Abure to go to the national level and resolve his differences with the leaders. He must learn to play by the rules of the game. We are not being sponsored, nobody is sponsoring us.”

    Edo publicity secretary of LP, Comrade Sam Uropka, while reacting, insisted that NLC had abandoned its primary responsibility to Nigerian workers, while chasing shadows, at a time when the workers were dying of hunger and suffering.

  • LP will win Edo governorship poll, Abure boasts

    LP will win Edo governorship poll, Abure boasts

    The Labour Party (LP) will win the September governorship election in Edo State, its National Chairman, Julius Abure said. 

    Abure said the candidate of the party, Olumide Akpata, has what it takes to win at the poll. 

    He said the party had the best primaries in the state. 

    He said this during a youth-led solidarity visit to the Party Secretariat in Abuja.

    Abure, who was represented by LP National Youth Leader Kennedy Ahanotu, said: “It was obvious and clear that the Labour Party had the best primaries in Edo State that produced Olumide Akpata.

    “As a matter of fact, the Labour Party is set to win Edo State.”

    Abure urged supporters of the party to be united ahead of the 2027 general election. 

    The national chairman of LP said the party was focused on taking back the country. 

    He urged the ruling All Progressives Congress to “focus on providing the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.”

    Abure said: “The ruling party should stop manipulating the Labour Party in a bid to silence our leaders. The ruling party should concentrate on delivering democratic dividends to citizens of Nigeria who are hungry and angry. 

    Read Also: NLC, Obi’s supporters demand Abure’s sack over LP’s proposed ‘secret’ convention

    “We urge the law enforcement agencies to realise that a better Nigeria, which our party is pursuing, will also benefit them and their children and therefore, they should not be ready tools in the hands of those who have destroyed the foundation laid by our heroes past. 

    “Let me also use this opportunity to call on all the Obidients world over to avoid every form of internal bickering and be united in the avowed pursuit of a better Nigeria, which is the ultimate goal of our struggle. 

    “I urge you all to reaffirm your commitment towards taking back our country, no matter the pressure, by supporting the party leadership.”

  • NLC, Obi’s supporters demand Abure’s sack over LP’s proposed ‘secret’ convention

    NLC, Obi’s supporters demand Abure’s sack over LP’s proposed ‘secret’ convention

    A proposed ‘secret’ National Convention by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure and its National Working Committee(NWC) has torn the party apart with the Nigeria Labour Congress – one of the stakeholders and supporters of the former presidential candidate, Peter Obi calling for his sack.

    The NLC accused Abure of running the Labour Party as a “sole administrator.”

    According to the NLC, Abure in April 2023 tried to unilaterally extend his tenure in office by two years but was stopped at its instance and Obi who insisted that the right thing be done.  

    Supporters of Obi asked him to quit the Labour Party. 

    The Abure – led NWC is accused of planning to hold the national convention of the party in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on March 27 without the input of stakeholders, especially the NLC. 

    The planned convention was contained in a notice to the independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) on March 13. 

    However, in an open letter, the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission – the political wing of the NLC, described the planned convention as illegal, noting that it would not allow any form of illegality in the affairs of the party to stand. 

    It called for the immediate resignation of Abure as the party chairman and the constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

    The letter was signed by the Chairman and Secretary, NLC political commission, Comrades TItus Amba and Chris Uyot on Friday night in Abuja. 

    Abure has been having a running battle with some senior officials of the party over the management of the labour party. 

    Last month, the National Treasurer of the party, Oluchi Opara accused Abure of diverting N3.5 billion of funds received from the sale of nomination forms by the Labour Party and donations for the prosecution of the 2023 political campaigns. 

    The chairman dismissed the allegation as baseless and went ahead to suspend Opara for six months. 

    The NLC also knocked Abure for his extortionist tendencies by selling the nomination and expression of interest forms for Edo governorship election for N30m.

    The statement reads: “The NLC Political Commission is concerned that some characters in the Labour Party leadership have failed to identify with the expectation of Nigerian workers and people that the Labour Party must be always above board. The continued refusal of the National Chairman of the Labour Party to showcase the leadership qualities epitomised in the founding ideology of the Labour Party presents him as unfit for the position he desperately wishes to cling to and we have now discovered is the reason behind all the crises in the Labour Party. 

    Read Also: Apapa appeals judgment reinstating Abure as LP national chairman

    “The sole administrator mentality of Mr. Abure has stood in the way of efforts by the NLC Political Commission to intervene and resolve the leadership crises in the Labour Party. Our position and interventions in the Labour Party have been in three dimensions. First is to defend the Labour Party from being maligned and hijacked by fifth columnists especially establishment political parties who have invested huge resources to recruit some members of the national leadership of the Labour Party to undermine the party. 

    “Second, the NLC Political Commission have continued to intervene in the leadership crisis in the Labour Party to ensure that the Party operates an efficient and effective system of management that prioritises inclusiveness, transparency and accountability not the sole administrator system that has been foisted on the party’s psyche by Mr. Abure and his ilk who are not committed to the ideology of Labour Party. 

    “Third, our continued intervention in the affairs of the Labour Party is to ensure that the court judgements, agreements and organ decisions of the Labour Party are kept to the letter. Instead of sticking to agreements, Mr. Julius Abure has deployed all manner of subterfuge to undermine the efforts of NLC to reposition the Labour Party as the number one political party in Nigeria including shunning invitations to meet with the NLC Political Commission. Mr. Julius Abure had in April 2023 also tried to unilaterally extend his tenure in office by two years. He was only stopped at the instance of the NLC and Mr. Peter Obi who insisted that the right thing be done.  

    “The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission regret the recurrent scandals from the national headquarters of the Labour Party. These unsavoury developments recently appeared to have climaxed by the unfortunate spilling of sour grapes from two leaders of the Labour Party – Barrister. Julius Abure, National Chairman, and Ms. Oluchi Opara, the National Treasurer. 

    “We are alarmed by claims by Ms. Oluchi Opara that the National Chairman diverted about N3.5 billion of funds received from the sale of nomination forms by the Labour Party and donations for the prosecution of the 2023 political campaigns. Mr. Julius Abure has dismissed these allegations as baseless and gone ahead to suspend Ms. Opara for six months. 

     “Viral reports and pictures of the National Chairman of the Labour Party being hauled to the ground like a common criminal and tossed into a security vehicle has added insults to the public opprobrium that the leadership of the Labour Party had been subjected to in recent times. There are also pending cases of fraud, forgery and misrepresentation against the National Chairman of the Labour Party in various courts and police stations in Nigeria. This is a sour misadventure in political mischief, mismanagement and misdemeanour. The conduct of Mr. Julius Abure and his maladministration of the Labour Party is totally unacceptable to us. 

    “At the top of the crisis of mismanagement in the Labour Party is the extortionist tendencies by Mr. Abure exemplified by the monetization of the nomination process including the recent outrageous N30 million charged aspirants in the recent Edo State Governorship primary. Amidst the drama plaguing the Labour Party, we are alarmed that it appears that some key leaders of the Labour Party are not concerned about the huge embarrassment, nuisance, and damage to the good image of the Labour Party that their actions constitute. The truth is these scandals do not represent who we are as Labour Party. 

    “The presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi has weighed in on the recent scandals affecting Mr. Julius Abure and has called for a forensic audit into the use of party funds. The leadership of the NLC fully supports the position of Mr. Peter Obi. It is unfortunate that Mr. Julius Abure does not want this to be done before going behind the back of stakeholders in the party to plan for an illegal National Convention.”

    Abure couldn’t be reached for comments. 

    Also, messages sent to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh were yet to be responded as of the time of filing this report. 

  • Apapa appeals judgment reinstating Abure as LP national chairman

    Apapa appeals judgment reinstating Abure as LP national chairman

    Rather than thaw, the leadership tussle rocking opposition Labour Party (LP) appears to have worsened.

    A former national chairman of the party, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, has gone to the Supreme Court to appeal the appellate court’s verdict reinstating Julius Abure as the National Chairman.

    LP’s National Publicity Secretary loyal to the Apapa-led faction, Abayomi Arabambi, announced this while addressing reporters yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    He said the LP had obtained a stay-of-execution motion on the judgment.

    An appeal court sitting in Abuja had, on March 6, 2024, reinstated Abure as LP’s National Chairman.

    The court held that the High Court erred by restraining him from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.

    In a unanimous judgment, Justice Harmman Barka held that the High Court listened to a matter it lacked jurisdiction over, in the first instance.

    The appellate court described the matter as purely an internal party issue, and dismissed it as well as award a cost of N1 million against Apapa.

    But Arabambi faulted the judgment, saying the LP had filed an appeal at the apex court and had obtained a stay of execution order.

    “The Acting National Chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, has successfully filed an appeal on March 6, 2024 and has stayed the execution of the judgment delivered in favour of Julius Abure by an Abuja Court of Appeal in the Supreme Court through a motion for stay of execution filed on Thursday, March 7, 2024,” he said.

    Read Also: Tension as Senate meets over N3tr alleged padding of 2024 budget on Tuesday

    Arabambi also alleged that “Julius Abure had, earlier before today, forged the seal of the judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), forged the Commissioner of Oath’s signatures and generated his own TSA receipts without payment to the Federal Government, consequent upon which the police established a prima facie case against him for forgery, criminal conspiracies, and perjury”.

    He added: “You would also recall that sometime on May 12, 2023, the FCT High Court, presided by Justice Hamza Mua’zu, dismissed the notice of preliminary objection filed by Abure and others challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the originating summons filed by Martins Esikpali and others. This was basically on the ground that there was an allegation of crime and that it’s a contentious issue in the said summons. As such, (it’s) not suitable for originating summons, which inherently meant that the case ought to have been commenced by a writ of summons so that oral evidence can be taken.”

  • JUST IN: Appeal Court affirms Abure as LP chair

    JUST IN: Appeal Court affirms Abure as LP chair

    The Court Of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

    The Appellate Court also set aside the decision of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court which last year restrained Abure and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

    Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court had last year, granted an ex-parte order, ordering that Abure and two other national officers stop parading themselves as leaders of the party for allegedly forging national documents but the Appellate Court set the verdict aside.

    Read Also: Obi faults manner of Abure’s arrest

    However, in the judgement delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, the Appellate Court held that the high court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction on the matter.

    The Appellate Court also awarded a cost of One million Naira in favour of Abure and against the respondent, Lamidi Apapa.

    Details shortly…

  • Obi faults manner of Abure’s arrest

    Obi faults manner of Abure’s arrest

    The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections, Mr Peter Obi, has expressed dissatisfaction at the manner which the Nigeria Police operatives handled the arrest of the party’s National Chairman, Mr Julius Abure, on Wednesday.

    Obi in a statement on his X handle platform said that there could have been a better way to handle the arrest of the party chieftain to “show we are … in a democracy”.

    He said: “Like many Nigerians, I observed the distasteful national television news reports detailing the humiliating arrest of the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, in Benin City, Edo.

    “Throughout my roles as a private individual, public figure, Governor, and Presidential candidate, I consistently advocated for the paramount importance of upholding the rule of law in any sane society.

    “I firmly believe that, as citizens, we are all duty-bound irrespective of our status in society to respond to invitations from properly constituted authority.

    “My stance on this matter remains unwavering but does not explain watching the distressing image of our National Chairman lying on the ground in the name of arrest.

    “This act is undesirable and unequivocally intolerable and must be condemned by any decent and civilized mind within the context of our present civic landscape in Nigeria.”

    He described the manner of the arrest as deplorable, saying such manner of arrest must be not only denounced but also actively addressed to uphold the principles of justice and respect within our society.

    “Regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr Abure’s arrest, it is crucial to emphasise that while constitutional authorities must be allowed to execute their statutory functions, officers must adhere to due process and established arrest procedures.

    “The officers must embody civility, decorum, respect for the dignity and rights of citizens, and, above all, the presumption of innocence.

    “It is crucial to emphasise that as a leader within the Labour Party, Mr Abure represents, both personally and statutorily, as the incumbent Chairman of the LP, the face of political opposition in Nigeria,” Obi said.

    Read Also: LP chair Abure, five others arrested for alleged ‘attempted murder, illegal firearms possession’

    NAN reports that Abure and some LP party members who were arrested by the police on Wednesday in Benin City, the Edo capital,have however been released.

    Also, after the arrest, Tijani Momoh, Spokesperson for Zone 5 Police Headquarters, Benin City, said Abure was arrested over a petition in a case of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit dangerous harm.

    Momoh had on Wednesday, while briefing newsmen, said that the police did not assault the LP national chairman in the process of arresting him.

    The police spokesperson said some persons tried to prevent Abure’s arrest, which led to an altercation between them and police operatives.

    (NAN)

  • LP chair Abure, five others arrested for alleged ‘attempted murder, illegal firearms possession’

    LP chair Abure, five others arrested for alleged ‘attempted murder, illegal firearms possession’

    The Labour Party yesterday confirmed the arrest of its National Chairman, Julius Abure, in Benin City, Edo State.

    State Chairman Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, Ken Omusi, Simeon Obehi, and two others were also arrested.

    A statement by the spokesperson of the Zone 5 covering Edo and Delta States, Tijani Momoh, said Abure and the others were arrested yesterday afternoon for alleged conspiracy, brutal assault, attempted murder, robbery, grievous harm, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

    The statement reads: “The arrest follows a petition addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Kayode Egbetokun, which was endorsed by Office of the IG to the AIG Zone 5, Benin, for investigation.

    “Detectives of Zone 5, upon surveillance and with warrants of arrest, apprehended Abure, Ogbaloi and others with a pump-action gun and three rounds of live ammunition. It is expedient to state that contrary to false narratives on the social media, Abure was not assaulted by the police detectives.

    Read Also; Petrol importation drops by 3.29% in 2023

    “While effecting the arrest, some persons with Abure obstructed the detectives and made Abure sit on the ground to curry sympathy from the public.

    “The AIG Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin City, Arungwa Nwazue, has directed speedy investigation into the matter, and anyone found culpable will be arraigned in court.”

    But the Lamidi Apapa group said Abure was arrested in connection with alleged forgery and perjury, according to a statement by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi.

    The statement reads: “Abure’s arrest today (yesterday) was in connection with the police investigation report that indicted and established a prima facie case of forgery, perjury and criminal conspiracy over his involvement in the forgery of the signature of a FCT High Court Judge, Commissioners of Oath, and generating his own receipts from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

    “His arrest is also connected to the arson and attempted murder of our National Youth Leader.”

  • UPDATED: Labour Party confirms arrest of chairman Abure

    UPDATED: Labour Party confirms arrest of chairman Abure

    The Labour Party has confirmed the arrest of its national chairman, Julius Abure in Benin City, the Edo state capital by security operatives.

    The national publicity secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh confirmed the arrest of Abure in a statement on Wednesday, February 21.

    However, he failed to give details as to why the national chairman was picked up in Benin City.

    Ifoh said: “Heavy crowd of protesters on Wednesday besieged the Zone 5 headquarters of the Police Command in Benin City over the arrest of the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure.

    “Also arrested was the state chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi.

    “The Labour Party on Tuesday had a very successful delegate election in Benin ahead of the Party Primaries scheduled to hold on Friday. The party chairman only this morning along with party governorship aspirants also kept a scheduled security briefing with the Department of State Security. Abure was however arrested after the meeting by a combined team of DSS and Police officers. Abure, Ogbaloi and their aides were also manhandled.

    “Effort by some party leaders to have access to the Zone 5 headquarters was turned down due to the huge crowd of party supporters who were expressing their displeasure over the arrest of Abure.

    “However, a Police source informed the party officials and other governorship aspirants at the gate of the police headquarters that the arrest was in connection to a protest letter by one of the expelled members of the party loyal to the Apapa dissident camp.

    Read Also: LP crisis: Compel Abure to step down now, State chairmen tell Peter Obi

    “The source also confirmed that the arrest was not unconnected to the ongoing party primary and the possible candidate that will emerge which the state government is vehemently opposed to.

    “He informed that the arrest was to frustrate the primary process and possibly interrupt the party’s participation in the governorship election.

    “The Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Dr. Ayo Olurunfemi in a video post said that no form of intimidation from the highest quarters can stop the party from concluding the process leading to the emergence of the Labour Party government in the state.”

    Speaking on the arrest, the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party, said Abure was arrested in connection with alleged forgery and perjury.

    The national publicity secretary of the Apapa faction, Abayomi Arabambi, said this in a terse statement.

    He said: “Abure’s arrest today was in connection with the police investigation report that indicted and established a prima facie case of forgery,.perjury and criminal conspiracy over his involvement in the forgery of the signature of FCT High Court Judge, forgery of Commissioners of oath and generating his own receipts from the Treasury Single Account (TSA). His arrest is also connected to the arson and attempted murder of our party national youth leader.”

  • BREAKING: Police arrest Labour Party chair Abure

    BREAKING: Police arrest Labour Party chair Abure

    The National Chairman of the Labour Party(LP), Julius Abure has been arrested by security operatives.

    Abure was arrested on Wednesday, February 21, in Benin City, the Edo state capital.

    Read Also: LP crisis: Compel Abure to step down now, State chairmen tell Peter Obi

    The Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, confirmed Abure’s arrest to the Nation on Wednesday.

    Details shortly…