Rising from a State Executive Council (SEC) meeting today, Labour Party (LP) has urged all its aspirants into the forthcoming congress elections to wait for dates to be announced by its National Executive Council (NEC) as approved by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for congresses to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous characters posing as genuine officials of the party.
This warning is coming on the heels of alleged infractions and disregard to the party’s constitution and constituted authorities by its embattled National Chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam and Deputy National Secretary, Julius Abure.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Labour House Abuja, the State Chairman of All Chairmen of the Party, Comrade Joseph Ndirang told newsmen that the duo were indicted and removed as leaders of the party after police carried out financial investigation and a forensic audit of the party and discovered they collected huge sums of money from unsuspecting aspirants and diverted such to their personal use.
According to Ndirang, “in the past, the duo simply coerced unsuspecting aspirants to pay huge sums of money for nomination forms and some ridiculous waivers charges that never got to the party.
Claiming that those actions had been left to the past, he therefore warned that henceforth, no aspirant should pay any money to the duo but to a screening committee instituted under the leadership of the Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party; having representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) as members.
He decried that Abdulsalam and Abure have turned the party into a private plaything and are currently sacking state chairmen all over the country at will while he swears in a state congress holding at the national office.
In the resolutions, according to Comrade Ndirang, “SEC has resolved to move the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) State office of the party to Labour House temporarily, pending the final resolution of the matters by the NEC and NLC leaderships. All persons having dealings with the FCT Chapter should contact us at the Labour house henceforth.”
“Since 2018 is conventional time for Labour Party at ward, local government and state congresses, SEC resolved to await the party’s NEC decision on dates for congresses and as would be approved by INEC. Any so called ‘Kangaroo Congress called by Salam and Abure without INEC and the present State Executives is unconstitutional, null and void.”
SEC also pledged its unflinching support and loyalty to the constitutional organs of the party (NWC and NEC) and to the leader of the NLC under Dr. Ayuba Wabba. SEC expresses confidence in the NLC political commission led by Dr. Najee, Yasin and further affirms its resolve to abide by all lawful decisions from them.”
“SEC passed a vote of confidence on the present FCT LP Chairman, Comrade Joseph Ndirang who also doubles as the newly elected chairman of all chairmen’s forum in Nigeria and thanked INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood for his personal efforts in ensuring that Labour remains indivisible.”
