LP Insists on Wednesday Convention

The leadership of the Labour Party said its national convention will still holds on Wednesday as planned. 

The Labour party has filed a petition with government institutions for urgent intervention against the Nigeria Labour Congress. 

The party also called for disciplinary action against NLC President Joe Ajaero and union leaders involved in vandalisation of the properties. 

The conflict escalated last week.

In the four separate letters written to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; Ministry of Labour and Employment and Registrar of Trade Unions, Falonipe Amos, the party also called for disciplinary action to be taken against the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and other union leaders who headed the alleged vandalisation of its properties.

On Saturday, news filtered in that the Presidential Candidate of LP, Peter Obi, had been frantically making efforts to broker peace between both camps
Obi was also said to have advised the party to shift the national convention to a later date until a lasting solution is sought.

But the party backtracked on Sunday and insisted there was no going back on its planned convention.

The National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, said, the National Working Committee of the party and delegates would gather in Umuahia, Abia State capital.

He said, “Who told you we have cancelled the convention? That is not true. Anything that didn’t come from me or the chairman is not from the party. There is no going back.

“If not that, tomorrow is the usual ‘sit-at-home’ exercise (in the East), delegates will start arriving from tomorrow. But from Tuesday, all of us will assemble in Umuahia for the convention.”

Reacting, the NLC spokesman, Benson Upah, fumed, saying Abure would not dare the congress by going ahead with the planned convention.

He said, “What does not exist cannot be said to have held. It is an exercise in futility, no matter where, when or how it is done. As long as it is superintended by Abure, it is nullity.

“I can assure you that we have no deal. And I want to tell you whatever they do will amount to nothing more than a useless and hopeless jamboree.