…Accuses INEC of interference
The National Working Committee, NWC of the Labour Party has dismissed the purported suspension of eight of its Members by the National Executive Council, NEC.
Labour Party NWC debunked that, contrary to media reports, there was no NEC meeting where such action was taken but rather, the former National Chairman of the Party, A.A Salam last Tuesday gathered non party members in his home town Minna and announced that there was a NEC meeting which suspended eight NWC Members.
Ebere Ifendu, Labour Party National Publicity Secretary who stated this in Abuja on Tuesday while briefing journalists explained that, the composition of the party’s NEC according to Article 13(2) A; include the Presidents and General Secretaries of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Ifendu however said, none of the constitutional members of NEC attended the purported meeting by Salam,indicating that it had nothing to do with Labour Party whatsoever.
“Of great concern to us is the fact that he claimed to have suspended 8 members of the National Working Committee. The purported suspension of the 8 NWC members is only a fiction of A.A Salam’s wildest imagination.
“No responsible person can gather non- party members and claim to have sacked NWC Members and at the same time prolong his own tenure, knowing fully well that it has ended on the 10th October, 2018”, she stated.
The Labour Party National Spokesperson recalled that, “on the 2nd of October, 2018, INEC had written to party to comply with the order of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to conduct an all inclusive National Convention involving all parties covered by the terms of settlement filled on 14th March, 2018.
“The letter is very explicit on the action to take,elongation of the tenure and suspension of the National Working Committee Members are notaffairs”f the order of the court.
” With the end of the tenure of this executive and in compliance of the above mentioned court order, the Labour Party does not have a National Working Committee.
” This clearly means that any nomination of candidate done by the party after 11th October, 2018 is NULL and VOID and it will be in contempt of the court order”.
Ifendu while accusing INEC of complicity in the travails of Labour Party said, “we want to also use this medium to warn INEC, especially the Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu and Mrs. Babalola, Director, Legal to desist from conniving with Salam and the Acting Secretary, Julius Abure as we will no longer tolerate their unnecessary and biased interference in Labour Party affairs”.
She announced that a 7 – man committee is being constituted to oversee the activities of the party and midwife the all – inclusive Convention in accordance with the order in 30 days.
