A fresh trouble has hit the Labour Party (LP) as the 2014 executive members of the party regrouped with a call for the implementation of a consent judgement entered into in 2018.
The consent judgement, if enforced, will render the leadership of Julius Abure illegal.
During a press conference held in Abuja on Friday, Callistus Uju Okafor, the 2014 acting national chairman and Mamman Bukar, the acting national secretary, stated that the 2014 national executive had the legal right to conduct a convention that would address all irregularities in the party.
According to Okafor, he was elected as the deputy chairman in 2014 and became the acting national chairman in 2017 after Abdulsalam Abdukadir was removed from the position due to an alleged financial embezzlement. However, Okafor claims that Julius Abure, who was at the national secretariat, made himself the chairman.
Okafor revealed court documents to support his claims and emphasised that the implementation of the consent judgement is crucial for the resolution of their long-standing legal battle for the party’s soul.
He explained that prior to the National Convention, the Nigeria Labour Congress requested 10 million membership cards from the LP leadership for its members nationwide. However, the LP national chairman, Barr. Dan Nwayanwu, refused and asked the NLC members to join the party at their respective wards. This disagreement continued until the 2014 convention in Akure, Ondo State.
During the convention which took place on October 11, 2014 presided over by Barr. Dan Nwayanwu, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress led by Comrade Abdulwaheed Umar, boycotted the event.
Okafor then discussed a National Working Committee meeting that took place on December 7, 2015 in Lokoja, Kogi state.
During the meeting, three items were discussed: Ali Abacha’s third term in office, Kayode Ajulo’s abuse of office, and Clement Ojukwu defrauding three members of the National Working Committee.
Ali Abacha and Kayode Ajulo both left the party, and a committee was formed to investigate Clement Ojukwu’s fraudulent activities. Ojukwu was found guilty, and the National Executive Council ratified the disciplinary committee’s decision to suspend him indefinitely.
Okafor went on to explain that on October 3rd, 2017, a Special Convention was held in Abuja, during which Alhaji. A. A. Salam was constitutionally removed from the position of National Chairman for embezzlement of party funds. The convention was presided over by Chief Callistus U. Okafor as the Deputy National Chairman and Barr. Julius Abure as the acting National Secretary.