Battle for the Soul of Labour Party

Chuks Okocha takes a critical look at the claims and counter claims by critical stakeholders laying claims to the soul of the Labour Party.

The Labour Party and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are two different and separate organisations.

The Labour party was registered as a political party, while the NLC is not.

Rather, NLC is a pressure group in line with provisions of the International  Labour Organisation (ILO) to basically cater for the welfare of workers and to coordinate  all issues relating to workers welfare.

But for obvious reasons, the Labour Party and NLC have been having a symbiotic relationship claiming affiliation to each other.

By the way, the relationship between the Labour party in Nigeria and the NLC is certainly not the same with the Labour Congress and Labour Party in the United Kingdom or the All Nigeria Congress (ANC) in South Africa.

NLC has over the years engaged in a war of attrition with Labour party. They were in fact managing the crisis until recently when it became a show of public shame.

The crisis came to a head recently when the NLC under the leadership of Comrade Joe Ajaero directed the picketing of the Labour Party’s National Headquarters in Abuja and its other offices across the country.

The NLC claimed to be owners of the party and therefore wanted to dictate to the leadership of the party as well as assert overwhelming political control over the party.

But, according to the INEC guidelines for the registration of political parties, a party is seemed to be registered by INEC if it becomes a body corporate with a perpetual succession and a common seal. For example, a letter dated September 3, 2015 from INEC to NLC stated most explicitly that the NLC has no superior status.

Also, “Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that, a political party once registered has a life of its own and it is only regulated by its constitution”.

It is imperative to note that by the import of the above provisions, whatever part or any role played whatsoever in the registration of the party becomes immaterial. The party will thereafter be regulated by its constitution.

In the same manner, it should be noted that Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) prohibits any association from contributing to the funds of any political party. It is a criminal offence under section 15 of the Trade Union Act to use Trade Unions Funds whether directly or indirectly to fund a political party.

Notwithstanding the above, the former President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, disagreed with the constitutional provisions and insisted that the Labour party is a child of the NLC. He said on a television programme on Thursday that “First and foremost, the Labour Party was formed by the NLC, in the realisation of a clear objective in the Constitution of the NLC. Under Article 3 and Item 1, the major objective of the NLC is to promote, defend and advance the economic, political, and social rights and well-being of Nigerian workers and pensioners.

‘We own the Labour Party; it was formed under the leadership of Pascal Bafyau, as Party for Social Democracy. Under Adams Oshiomhole, organs decided to change the name to the Labour Party, and the first chairman was S.O.Z Ejiofor who later handed over to Dan Anyanwu.

“So, the essence of forming the party is to make sure that workers, pensioners, farmers, can be able to have a platform to exercise their rights, which is enshrined in Section 40 of the Constitution. The party was formed by NLC, and registered by NLC. It’s like you built a house, you got a C-of-O, then you rented the apartment, so you must have an interest in how the property is managed.”

Wabba also explained that the basis of the dispute between the NLC and the LP was that the party had not honoured the contents of a consent agreement brokered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and signed in June 2022, in which both parties agreed to the inauguration of a Board of Trustee, to be headed by the pioneer chairman of the party, and the conduct of a national convention.

The National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, was quick to disagree, saying “in fact, one of the conditions and guidelines for the registration of political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) forbids any organisation that should be registered as a political party to be associated to any group, even tribal associations.”

However, there seems to be some worrisome development, which INEC must come out clearly to clarify. And this is, under what circumstances did the NLC and the Labour party agree to reach a truce in June 2022 that gave the Abure team a lifeline of one year before a national convention could be held.

To political observers conversant with the Labour party and NLC imbroglio, this was what gave the Ajaero-led NLC the impetus to pickett the national headquarters of the party in Utako, Abuja.

But one of the guidelines for the registration of a political party said the party so registered must be owned by members who must contribute to the financial well being of the party.

This position was further buttressed by one of the guidelines for the registration of political parties which said that it is only those who pay the membership dues that could be described as stakeholders and owners of the party.

That means the financial members of the party are the owners of the party and therefore can have a say on the affairs of the party.  To this, the NLC is not a financial member and therefore by the provisions of the  2022 Electoral Act (as amended) has no recognisable role in the affairs of the Labour party. These are the contradictions that must be resolved before the issue of the ownership of the party could be resolved.

However due to the symbiotic relationship between the LP and NLC, they are seen like Siamese twins that needed each other for growth and development.

That being the case, the centre of this relationship can no longer hold because of Abure camp’s plan to hold a closed convention that would scheme out the NLC.

Crisis broke out when the NLC called for a national convention which could result in a change of leadership.

But the forthcoming national convention is tearing apart the smooth and cordial relationship with claims and counter claims.

The grouse of the NLC was that the Abure-led LP is planning a closed convention effective March 27. For the proposed convention, there was no guidelines, at least not known to the public and the media.

As in other political parties’ national conventions, there are usually committees formed to help with the planning and eventual holding of the convention.

Insiders within the Abure camp, claimed what is being done is nothing but a ‘closed convention’ where all members of the Abure group would be re-elected. The insiders said that over 70 percent of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are appointees of Abure and his cronies and not elected.

The NLC’s  Political Commission had asked the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Julius Abure, to resign immediately to give way for a caretaker transition committee, which will organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention.

In a statement signed by the Chairperson of the NLC Political Commission, Comrade Titus Amba, and the Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, the labour movement said it no longer has confidence in Abure’s leadership and urged him to resign immediately.

The labour movement accused Abure of acting as a sole proprietorship of the party by seeking to single-handedly organise a national convention without the consent and input of other key stakeholders.

NLC said the leadership of LP never informed it of plans to hold a National Convention. It accused Abure of deploying all manner of subterfuge to undermine the efforts of NLC to reposition the LP as the number one political party in Nigeria, including shunning invitations to meet with the NLC Political Commission.

The Congress alleged that Abure had in April, 2023 also tried to unilaterally extend his tenure in office by two years.  It said the action of Abure was in contravention of the consent judgement delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court on March 20, 2018, as part of the resolution of the crisis that bedeviled the party then.

Though, the current national chairman of Labour party, Abure was a former national secretary of the party that transformed to national chairman in April 2021 at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Benin, Edo State, it is, however, not clear whether his leadership of the party is a  continuation of the tenure of late chairman Abdulkadir Abdulsalam who died in 2020 or he’s serving a fresh mandate.

By insinuation, the NLC is afraid that Abure would manipulate the party machinery to perpetuate himself in office, while accusing Abure that it is not aware of the planned national convention.

In a swift reaction, the Labour Party said the NLC letter did not come to it as a surprise or a shock as it was long expected before now, having known that the NLC was going to engage itself on this misadventure.

The spokesman of Labour party  urged Nigerians to recall that in 2014, NLC was involved in a war of blackmail and attrition against the party and its leadership.

He explained that it was only recently, following the civil and diplomatic approach adopted by Abure when he assumed leadership that he was able to get the then President of the NLC, Ayuba Waba and the then President of the Trade Union Congress, Olaleye Quadri to a truce where the NLC, TUC and Labour Party agreed to work together in harmony. But, Ifoh did not bring to public notice the terms of the agreement which NLC is also alluding to.

Unfortunately, Ifoh instead of coming clean with the said agreement blamed the crisis on  the current president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, whom he said has destroyed the successes already recorded, explaining that the NLC and its political commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.

He alleged that “The Nigeria Labour Congress has written several letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) and to the party on the need to conduct a national convention. In fact, the NLC has queried even the rationale behind the one year extension which was graciously granted by the NEC-in-session in Asaba, which is in line with the party constitution.

Ifoh further stressed that “the leadership of the party in its wisdom has decided to yield to their agitation for a convocation of a national convention.”

He cited article 14:4b of the party constitution that mandates the National Secretary in consultation with the National Chairman to issue notices of meetings of National Convention, NEC, NWC, amongst others.

According to him, it was in exercise of this power that the national chairman and national secretary have called for the convention following the decision of the national executive council of the party.

Though, the Abure-led National Working Committee of Labour party has tentatively slated March 27 for a national convention to elect new leadership for the party, the grouse of the NLC is that situation on ground has prepared grounds for the re-election of the current leadership. This was what irked the NLC that resulted in exchange of letters.

Another dimension to this on going controversy is from the the House of Representatives caucus of the Labour Party (LP) that has called for the postponement of the national convention of the party scheduled for March 27.

The convention which was initially billed to take place on March 29 but was later changed to March 27 with the leadership of the party saying the date was changed because the initial day falls on Good Friday, a very important date for the Christian faith all over the world.

But a statement issued by leader of the LP caucus in the House of Representatives, Afam Ogene, urged that the national convention should be postponed for “proper planning”.

The LP caucus said the party needs more time to make proper and wider consultations and make efforts to bring every stakeholder on board, before it goes ahead with such an important party event.

According to the LP House of Representatives caucus: “The national convention of any national political party is such an important event that ought not to be conducted without proper planning, or in a hurry.

 “While we acknowledge that the various challenges currently being thrown at the national leadership may have been responsible for the seemingly sloppy organization of the proposed convention, we hasten to add that the fact that many stakeholders, including my colleagues in parliament, were not carried along in the whole process leaves resentment trailing the process.

“While we agree that the 29th as earlier scheduled is not appropriate for the reasons given, we also note that 27th is not any better. Indeed, many have wondered why a national convention would seem more preferable, as against the bottom up approach of beginning congresses from the wards”.

The national leadership of the party through the national publicity secretary, Ifoh, however, insisted that the convention will go ahead as planned.

For suggesting that the national convention should be moved forward, the NWC of the Labour party described the caucus in the House of Representatives as the enemy  of the people.

According to Ifoh, “We therefore advice our lawmakers to desist from rushing to the press on party matters. Party internal matters must remain and kept internal matters. The party will not hesitate to discipline any party member who will not respect the supremacy of the party. The party is prepared to defend its ideology and constitution at all times irrespective of whose ox is gored.

“Finally, we want to assure our party members that the leadership is continuing with our consultations with stakeholders at all levels to ensure that free, fair and rancour free convention is held”.

But the ownership struggle appears not to abate in any way as the Labour Party last Friday wrote to the Regulatory Agency for Trade Unions to define the role of the NLC, particularly on its claim of being the owner of the Labour Party for which he said that NLC has continually harass and intimidate the leadership of the party by way of interfering in the party’s activities and attempting to impose leadership on it.

In separate letters to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Labour and Employment, as well as the Registrar of the Trade Unions, the Labour Party through its Chairman, Abure and National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim maintained  that Comrade Ajaero has over reached himself by using workers funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters, an action which amounts to an abuse of office and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned.

The letter read in part, “It has become unavoidably necessary to request for your urgent intervention, being the Regulatory Agency for trade unions including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).                 

“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has over the years engaged in a war of attrition with our party. It came to a head and unbearable when the NLC under the leadership of Comrade Joe Ajeoro directed the picketing of our party’s National Headquarters and our chapter offices across the country. The unwarranted attack in our office resulted in the destruction of several properties.

“The NLC claims to be owners of the party and therefore wants to impose the leadership of the party, exerts overwhelming control to achieve a political end. It must be pointed out that once a Political Party is registered by INEC it becomes a body corporate with a perpetual succession and a common seal (see the letter of INEC to NLC dated 3rd September 2015) where INEC stated clearly that the NLC has no superior status.

“Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that, a Political Party once registered has a life of its own and it is only regulated by its constitution. It is imperative to note that by the import of the above provisions, whosoever plays any role whatsoever in the registration of the party becomes immaterial. The party will thereafter be regulated by its constitution.

“It should be noted that Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) prohibits any association from contributing to the funds of any Political Party. It is a criminal offence under section 15 of the Trade Union Act to use Trade Unions Funds whether directly or indirectly to fund a Political Party.

“It is our arguments that using workers funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters and its legitimate leadership is an abuse of office by the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned.

“Similarly, the NLC has no right to picket an organization where there is no trade dispute. The Labour Party has no staff who are members of the NLC. The actions of the NLC is a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Trade Union Act and other relevant laws.”

On the membership of the party, the petition noted that “It is of importance to further draw your attention to the fact that it is only members who are financially up to date with the party, who have rights and obligations to in the party (See Article 9(3)(i) and (iii) of our constitution).

“NLC members are not card-carrying members of Labour Party. The Labour Party cannot be owned by any association. Membership of the Party is on individual basis.The Labour Party’s Constitution says the Party is open to all Nigerians who accept its ideology, programs and the constitution, irrespective of their religion, ethnic, gender, social and economic status.

“However, the organs of the party as decided by the members assume leadership of the party. How this is achieved is well spelt out in the constitution.

“As lawful citizens we didn’t want to confront them in an uncivilized manner in order to avoid breakdown of law and order. We had the option of also mobilizing party faithfuls to confront them. Doing that at this point where the harsh economic climate is having its toll on the Nigerian people will result to anarchy.

“Hence, the urgent need to call the NLC and its leadership led by Comrade Joe Ajaero to order, educate them on the limit of their power, condemn their rascality, abuse of office and discipline them as appropriate.”