Group Protests At LP Secretariat, Calls For Abure’s Resignation As Chairman
A group of concerned members of the Labour Party (LP) known as Concerned Labour Party Members (CLPM) staged a protest at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Julius Abure, the party’s National Chairman, citing the need for new leadership and fresh ideas within the party.
The group also called for the resignation of the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, from both the NLC and LP.
The ongoing conflict between the NLC and the LP has intensified, with members of the union picketing party secretariats nationwide.
Protesters gathered outside the LP national headquarters, chanting solidarity songs. However, security operatives prevented them from gaining access to the party secretariat.
Speaking to the press during the protest, former NLC national vice president, Comrade Isa Tijjani, stated that the resignation of Abure and Ajaero was necessary to bring in individuals with democratic ideals and integrity.
Tijjani emphasized that the reputation of the Labour movement has been tarnished by corruption and ethnic biases, threatening its existence.
“This action aligns with the democratic norms of the Labour Congress and the Labour Party,” Tijjani said. “Both organizations stand for progress and reject regressive practices. It is crucial that we do not entrust these important organizations to individuals who are unserious and promote ethnic divisions.”
Tijjani also expressed concern about corruption allegations against Abure as the LP Chairman and questioned Ajaero’s actions in picketing the party office.
He called for a deeper understanding of the motivations behind the picketing.
He said: “I am sure we are all aware of the problems created by our leaders which are becoming protracted, and a shame and burden on the body of our beloved party.
“Issues involved have grown from ideological concern to personality clash giving bad name to the image of the party and the Nigeria Labour Congress, these are bodies created to fight for the rights of workers and the generality of the common people.
“We are grounded with facts between the creation of these bodies stemming from protecting the interest of workers to widening the democratic space through the participation of the working class which unfortunately has turned into something else.
“The image of the Labor movement has been tinted with ethnic coloration to corrupt the democratic space. This has not only threatened our existence but spoiled our name and dragged us to the derogatory side of the good name hitherto created by patriotic labour personnel.
“In the aftermath of the foregoing, we had to mobilize members from across the country to participate in returning to decorum and patriotism of the party. We also want to urge active members of the Congress to join hands together with us for restoration and returning to the path of glory both in the party and the Labor movement.”