Don’t use Labour Party to promote insurrection, destabilize democracy – Abure warns Ajaero
… Alleges diversion of N200m LP’s funds
Babatunde Opoola, Abuja.
The leadership of the the Nigeria Labour Party, LP, through the National Chairman Barrister Julius Abure, the National Secretary Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim and other members of the National working committee of the Party, have warned the embattled National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to desist from using the NLC platform as for insurrection and destabilization of Nigerian democracy.
The party in a statement on Tuesday, described the letter written on behalf of Ajaero by Chief Femi Falana, SAN, to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as not only blackmail but also vexatious and complete judicial rescalitity.
The labour party leadership further stressed that Falana’s letter to INEC sought to achieve through the backdoor the recognition of Abdulwaheed Omar, who is a member of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) as National Chairman and one Engr Nnawuihe Nwauwa as National Secretary .
The LP charges INEC to obey the Benin and Abuja Courts of Appeal judgements and also draws the attention of the, National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff , Director General Of Department of State Services and the Inspector General of Police to the Clandestine plans by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Comrade Joe Ajaero, the former President of NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar who is also a member of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), to undermine the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration an action, it stated : ” that will lead to the assassination of our hard earned 25 years of unbroken democracy.”
” We further want to draw your attention to Comrade Joe Ajaero purported, Unending, misguided, mischievous and unconstitutional letter of introduction which is against trade union acts section 15(2) to the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman dated 31st May 2024 but was received on the 5th June by the same NLC president and General Secretary introducing the illegal duo of Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and one Engr. Nnawuihe A Nwauwa as National Transitions Committee (NTC) Chairman and Secretary of the Labour Party.
” Our party wishes to intimate you further that the NLC’S letter to INEC contradicts trade union acts section 15 (1) (2) (3) which says that trade union dues must not to be applied for political purposes:
” Section 15(I) says: Unless the rules of a trade union otherwise provide, in so far as the funds of a trade union represent payments which the members are required to make under the rules, whether by way of subscriptions, dues or otherwise, those funds shall not be applied (whether directly, or through any other union, association or body, or in any other indirect manner) to the furtherance of any political objective.
” Section 15 (2) If any of the funds of a trade union are applied to the furtherance of political ob- objective in contravention of subsection (I) of this section the trade union and every official thereof shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
” Section 15 (3) The following objectives, and no others, are political objectives for the purposes of this section, that is to say-
(a) the making of contributions towards the funds of any political party;
(b) the payment of any expenses incurred (whether directly or indirectly) by a can- candidate or prospective candidate for election to any political office in Nigeria or any part of Nigeria, being expenses incurred before, during or after election.
(4) It’s this obvious from the above that the right of Comrade Joe Ajaero as an individual to join political party of his choice or play active politics is sacrosanct but Joe Ajaero as the president of NLC is forbidden by law, trade union acts and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to actively promote political activities with union monies
” Therefore by now in any saner clime, Comrade Joe Ajaero ought to be punished along with all his accomplices in the NLC who has serially continued to interfered in the constitutional administration of the LABOUR PARTY.
” We also want to alert the National security Adviser, EFCC, ICPC and the Inspector General Of Police that Comrade Joe Ajaero has continued to unconstitutionally dip his hand into the Labour Union account to the tune of over 200m (Two Hundred million Naira) where he has been providing fund for mobilization of thousands of the NLC members for illegitimate activities.
” It’s on records that those NLC heavily and thoroughly demystified, defeated and demented arsonist had also before now invaded the National Secretariat of the LABOUR Party with a sole mission to carry out assassination plots against the National Chairman Bar Julius Abure, The National Secretary Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim and other members of the National working committee of the Party,” the statement said .
