The Labour Party has said the Nigeria Labour Congress is not recognised by the party constitution and thus lacks powers to sack the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday titled, ‘NLC, cohorts lack powers to sack legitimate leadership of Labour Party,’ signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.

The party alleged that the NLC held an illegal assembly of aggrieved former party members and some social media tigers known to be card carrying party members.

However, in a bid to prevent party supporters from being misled, the Labour Party said, “The Political Commission of the NLC is a front for Comrade Joe Ajaero which he has empowered for the purpose of his political ambition come 2027. The group is unknown to the Labour Party as such lacks powers to convene a meeting of “stakeholders” to deliberate let alone take any decision which will have a binding effect on a legally constituted party leadership.’’

The party national spokesperson alleged that the group was mandated by the NLC chairman, Joe Ajaero, “to ensure that crisis in Labour Party festers ahead of the 2027 by presenting itself as a rallying ground for dissident former members of our party who recently lost the leadership battle in the courts.”

“We are also not unmindful of the political pact the leadership of the NLC has gone into with the current All Progressives Congress – led Federal Government to destabilise the opposition.’’

This, according to him, is “why in quick succession their plots to hijack the party leadership failed. First it was by illegal picketing of the party. When that failed, it attempted to introduce and inaugurate a non-existing Board of Trustees, which also failed. Again, the attempted plot to take over the party using stakeholders meeting comprising former members, social media tigers and non members, will again fail like a pack of cards.”

The party said the ‘drama boys’ should have studied the party’s constitution before wasting their time attending the jamboree, adding that “Since you cannot build something on nothing, the gathering itself lacks legitimacy and as such decisions remain an enterprise in futility. They are null, void and of no effect.”

Restating the authenticity of the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, Mr Ifoh said the elected officials hold the mandate to build on the party’s successes from the 2023 general elections.

Lamenting the sufferings of Nigerians under the Bola Tinubu administration, the Labour Party advised Mr Ajaero to focus on the wellbeing of workers or resign his position as NLC president, and become a politician.

He added that Mr Abure offered his hands of fellowship to genuine party members to partner with him and provide the country with a truly democratic platform to pursue their dreams of a better Nigeria, adding that “we will seek the protection of the court of law should the need arise.”