Labour Party alleges plans to invade Secretariat by NLC

By Jude Opara, Abuja

Apparently the crisis rocking the opposition Labour Party may worsen in the coming days as the faction of the party loyal to Barr. Julius Abure on Sunday raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to invade its Secretariat in Abuja.

In a statement made available to newsmen and signed by the National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the party said it received intel that the NLC was mobilizing its members in collaboration with the faction led by Sen. Nenadi Usman as well as thugs to carry out the said invasion.

Ibrahim said the party is poised to resist the invasion with every legal means at its disposal.

He also accused the governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti of bankrolling the alleged invasion and one other person he failed to mention.

“It has come to the knowledge of the leadership of the Labour Party that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC is mobilizing its members, hired thugs and some miscreants in concert with the illegal Nenadi Usman led National Caretaker Committee (NCC), and the National Transition Committee (NTC) to invade the National Secretariat of our party.

“According to the source, the invasion which is allegedly funded by the Abia state government and one other prominent leader in the party is expected to commence as from Monday 7th of April 2025.

“During the invasion, the NLC will attempt an unlawful break and entry into offices at the national headquarters with the aim of carting away sensitive documents and to also vandalize the properties belonging to the party”.

The Secretary warned that the plot of allowed to take place has the capacity of breaching public peace and order in the Abuja.

Ibrahim further claimed that the judgement of the Supreme Court on the lingering legal tussle was clearly in favour of the Abuja led faction.

“We view this action which is capable of breaching the peace of the Federal Capital Territory as irresponsible and an  evidence of desperation on the NLC. The Labour Union which the laws that founded it forbids them from partisan politics has at different occasions in the past mobilized miscreants to desecrate the National Headquarters of the party and vandalised the properties.

“It must be noted that the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on the 5th of April, 2025 is very clear and unambiguous. The judgement simply mandates political parties to always resolve their crisis using internal mechanism, and that the issue of leadership is an internal affairs of the political parties. There is no where in the judgement that gave NLC, National Caretaker Committee or any other body by whatever nomenclature to take over the leadership of the Labour Party

“There is a leadership in place in the Labour Party and Barrister Julius Abure who was validly elected at a convention held in March 2024 still remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party. Any attempt to forcefully usurp the present leadership will be resisted.

“We are by this statement calling on the attention of the security agencies including the Police, the DSS amongst others to ensure that any activity that is capable of breaching the peace of the FCT must be nipped in the bud and that the masterminds, no matter how high they might be, are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law”, the statement concluded.