The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared support for the 29-man caretaker committee put in place by the Abia Governor, Alex Otti, the presidential candidate of the party in 2023, Peter Obi, and party stakeholders last week.
This was disclosed by the Deputy President of the NLC Political Commission, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Friday.
Recall that the National Chairman of the LP, Julius Abure; the party’s Secretary, Umar Farouk, and National Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, were conspicuously absent at the enlarged stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia on Wednesday.
Otti had called for the meeting to resolve the lingering leadership crisis in the party.
But the Abure-led National Working Committee has kicked against the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee, describing it as null and void.
The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement issued after the meeting, stated that Otti lacked the locus standi to oversee such a crucial meeting as if it was an extension of his state’s activities.
However, Ndubuaku told our correspondent that the NLC was stoutly behind the composition of the 29-man caretaker committee.
He said, “We applaud the giant stride being made, which we believe will end the crisis in the Labour Party and reposition it to play the role that the founding fathers had for the party.”
Ndubuaku disagreed on the allegation that Obi and Otti failed to carry the NLC along before deciding to set up the committee
According to him, every stakeholder was carried along with the ultimate aim of finding common ground on how best to resolve the crisis bedevilling the party.
He said, “Of course, the NLC political commission has discussed with Peter Obi and Alex Otti. So how can anyone say we are not consulted? It must be in the imagination of the writers or those saying that. That is a misinterpretation. We cannot be rejoicing and complaining about the turn of events at the same time.
“In fairness to him, Peter Obi consulted virtually every stakeholder. In fact, the choice of Nenadi Usman is a round peg in a round hole. It is quite befitting. She is someone with a track record and capacity and won’t look at anybody’s face.”
Ndubuaku promised that the NLC political commission will keep making inputs, especially when it comes to the mobilisation of workers for the Labour Party.
He expressed optimism that there won’t be friction between the committee and its National Transition Committee, which also comprised different stakeholders committed to the party.
Already, we have done a lot of work before now by reaching out to everybody. Once the Nenadi Usman-led committee starts conducting the primaries, the political commission will still be part of it at the ward, state and national levels, because the NLC is everywhere.”
On the fate of Aburi and his loyalists, Ndubuaku stated that he and members of the NWC of the party are also entitled to contest again for their positions.
Efforts to get reactions from Abure’s camp were unsuccessful. None of his loyalists was willing to discuss the issue as of the time of filing this report.
However, a member of the NWC who craved anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to speak told our reporter said they would not be intimidated.
“Obi and Otti lack the power to set up a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party. It is not in tandem with our party constitution and whatever they say or do is not binding on us,” the source said.
