The past 19 months may have been overwhelming for the Julius Abure led Labour Party. Apparently Abure, the National Working Committee NWC and the National Executive Committee NEC of the Party could not translate the monstrous support of the Nigerian People and the Obidient Movement thanks to the Peter Obi magic into forging a credible election winning machine.
Sadly as the humongous goodwill of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party Mr Peter Obi threw the Party up as the most engaging and most popular in the build up to the 2023 General Elections, Abure and his Executives became increasingly transactional and unwilling to weave a united Team that could take the nation to the New Dawn that Nigerians and the Obidients worked so hard for.
Abure’s many sins range from distancing the Party from the owners ditto the People, the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC and the Trade Union Congress TUC. You cannot conceivably have a Labour Party with the NLC and the TUC, with the National Union of Teachers NUT across Nigeria, and yet could not have Polling Agents across the nation. To Abure and his Team it was more about personal profit than helping Peter Obi and the Nigerian People to victory hence ‘the Revolution postponed’ apologies to Mr Peter Obi.
The Imo Labour Party Primaries that was characterized by monumental accusations of money changing hands between Julius Abure, his Team and the enemies of the Party to supplant the Party by stopping the most credible and winnable candidate is fresh in our memories.
The very damning revelations of the erstwhile Youth Leader of the Labour Party Anselem Eragbe about a heavily compromised and transactional Labour Party under Abure are rife. That the Obidient Movement appeared to look the other way was because the focus was to win the Presidential Election with Peter Gregory Obi and to begin the process of the reorganization of the Labour Party immediately after.
The revelation of the Bayelsa State Labour Party Governorship candidate Udengs Eradiri about the Party executives sabotaging his chances by collecting 100m naira from the Bayelsa State Governor and allegedly remitting 50m to the National Executive led by Julius Abure tells how sickeningly transactional the Labour Party allegedly is. And we must rise up to put a lie to this by immediately setting out to reposition the Party.
We are calling on Mr Peter Gregory Obi the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, on the Elders and the Trustees of the Party, on the NLC and the TUC who constitutionally are the owners of the Party, on the Obidient Movement and all those who believe and insist on the need for a credible and vibrant opposition to ask Julius Abure and his Team to step down immediately and give life to the Court Judgement that ruled his tenure over in June 2022.
This call is to bring a constitutional end to the tenure of Julius Abure, and to legitimately end the era of Transactional Labour Party leadership which defines the Julius Abure/Lamidi Apapa leadership furore. Our challenge is to enforce along with the owners of the Party the Court Judgement that mandates the reorganization of the Party and a National Convention for the Labour Party.
Take note that following that Court Judgement, the Labour Party, the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and the Trade Union Congress TUC decided to stem a Leadership crisis in the Labour Party by signing up to some Terms of Settlement on the 27th of June, 2022. In the agreed terms, Julius Abure was mandated to constitute the Board of Trustees of the Party as provided by the Labour Party Constitution, to embark on an elaborate membership drive and to convene a National Convention that must reposition the Party from top to bottom. Sadly Julius Abure has reneged on the full terms of the Agreement, copies of the Terms of Settlement is attached to this Press Statement.
With Julius Abure still in the saddle as the Labour Party National Chairman the culture of a transactional Labour Party will destroy and diminish the ability of the Party to play the role of a credible opposition to the ruling APC, and by Jove banish the ability of the Party to win future elections.
The performance of the Labour Party in the off-season Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa State Governorship elections tells how lacklustre and ineffective the Julius Abure led Labour Party has become. It shows the shape of leadership and defines the hopelessness that a Julius Abure led Labour Party holds for the masses of our people.
We hereby insist that the NLC and the TUC give life to the June 27th, 2022 Terms of Settlement by setting up a National Convention Committee that must take immediate responsibility of reorganizing the Labour Party and positioning the Party to lead the much needed opposition.
Julius Abure must GO NOW for the Party to reorganize and position itself for the next year Edo State Governorship elections. Edo State is arguably the most Obidient State in Nigeria and cannot afford a transactional Labour Party leadership bungling the chances of the Labour Party winning Edo State.
This is not a Julius Abure versus Lamidi Apapa fight, this is the fight for the soul of the Labour Party. This is a fight for the reorganization of the Labour Party. This is a patriotic fight seeking a NEW Labour Party that must challenge the present leadership to responsible and responsive management of our collective patrimony. It is a fight for the soul of the Party, and this fight will assume the most vehement legal dimensions possible as Nigerians are calling on the Labour Party to lead the challenge for a New Nigeria.
We are documenting the many infractions of the Julius Abure led NEC of the Labour Party. We are committed to ensuring that steps are taken within the next 4 weeks by the NLC, the TUC, The Presidential Candidate of the Party Mr Peter Gregory Obi, and the Elders of the Party to compel Julius Abure to step aside and allow the Labour Party a new lease of life. And we shall stop at nothing including involving the Anti-Corruption Agencies and the Police in the probe of a highly transactional Labour Party under Julius Abure.
Nigerians and the Obidient Movement cannot afford a Labour Party that cannot bark and bite. The Labour Party must be repositioned to encapsulate the collective aspiration of the Nigeria people, such is the immediate challenge.
Signed.
Diokpa Delly Ajufo
Labour Party Elder.
Zariyi Yusuf
Obidient Movement
Hon. Keftin Amuga
For Labour Party Guber Candidates
Dr. Peter Piper
Advocate For A New Labour Party.
Igwe K.C
Obidient Movement.
Tony Magnifiquedude Asekome
Obidient Diaspora
Alhaji Audie Mohammed
Labour Party Elder
Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr.
Obidient Movement & Advocate For A New Labour Party.