‘Stop Demarketing Peter Obi, Labour Party,’ LP Directorate Tells NLC Transition Committee

• The Labour Party Directorate on Mobilization and Integration cautioned the NLC National Transition Committee to cease undermining the party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi
• The Directorate accused the NTC of collaborating with the government to weaken opposition parties like the Labour Party and prevent them from holding the government accountable

The Labour Party (LP) Directorate on Mobilization and Integration has cautioned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Transition Committee (NTC) to cease undermining the party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The Directorate reaffirmed Julius Abure as the legitimate National Chairman of the LP, as confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party’s highest decision-making body. They urged the NLC NTC to respect the reconciliation efforts initiated by Obi or to seek legal redress if they have any grievances.

This response comes after an unsigned statement allegedly released by the NLC NTC, which described Abure as the former National Chairman of the Labour Party and instructed party stakeholders to boycott planned congresses in Anambra, Imo, Delta, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In a statement on Monday, Marcel Ngogbehei, the Director General of the LP Directorate on Mobilization and Integration, criticized the NTC’s statement as “childish, malicious, and misleading.” Ngogbehei emphasized that the NLC has no authority to establish a transition committee for any political party in the country, calling their actions alien to the law and suggesting they test their constitutionality in court.

The Directorate highlighted the NTC’s divisive nature and urged Labour Party supporters to ignore their tactics. Ngogbehei encouraged LP stakeholders to remain focused and attend the upcoming party congresses as announced by the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC).

The Labour Party also accused the NLC NTC of collaborating with the government to weaken opposition parties like the Labour Party and prevent them from holding the government accountable. The statement said, “NTC has become a destructive agent seemingly working for the government to eliminate any perceived opposition structures in the country; the citizens are groaning under government policies that have left Nigerian workers poorer. Rather than the current NLC learning from the Oshiomole years of courageous leadership and engaging the government to protect the interests of Nigerian workers and citizens, they are busy meddling in political party affairs, attempting to demarket the only true opposition party in the country.”