By Ayoola Olasupo

Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, shares his views with AYOOLA OLASUPO on the call for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the persistent crisis in the party, among other issues

After the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party has been facing a leadership crisis to date. In your assessment, what do you think is the cause of the crisis?

I’d like you to know that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are not the only political parties to reckon with, and the Labour Party being very strong was being used for politics by some of the people that claim ownership. It has never been used by the platforms. It has never been supported by the platforms.

When I talk about platforms, I mean the labour movement and we have people in the labour movement who are in the APC holding very high positions. A former NLC president who happens to be the progenitor who signed to form the Labour Party was a governor on the platform of the APC; he was also the national chairman of the APC. He never believed in the Labour Party. If he believed in it, he wouldn’t have left the LP and be contesting and using the heads of Labour to fester his interest in the APC.

You will recall that Olusegun Mimiko also contested on the platform of the LP; he won the election twice and became the governor. Mimiko wasn’t a Labour person per say, aside from being a student unionist in his university and student executive union during his university days, but he used the LP and won elections on that platform. We expect that being an LP governor and Adam Oshiomole being the president of the NLC before becoming governor of Edo State, the two of them would have cooperated with the Labour governor to also possibly defect to that party so that they would have two governors, instead, he was given the Labour governor folder until he was frustrated out of the party and that marked the end of the successes recorded during the Mimiko era.

Now, we felt that the LP should not just be like this. How can Mimiko be perching with chickens and hens on the ground? So, we decided at the level of the TUC youth to form a political commission, and that came as a result of the complaint that had become the deficit of governance; I mean leadership in governance and all of those and the attendance effects on workers’ welfare.

We felt that instead of going out there all the time picketing, going on strike, demonstrating, and all of that every time, why not take the instrument of governance? Let’s take the instrument of power and I mean take over the government and provide a socialist leadership. A government that is socially oriented will provide all the needs of Nigerian workers, whether organised or unorganised. That formed the basis upon which the political commission was created and when that happened, I was the chairman of that political commission.

Are you talking about the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission?

I’m talking about the Trade Union Congress. That was under Quadri Olaleye, and we decided and set out our plan, which was fully supported by the TUC under Olaleye at that time. It was fully supported, and we were able to organise programmes aimed at sensitising Nigerian workers and the crisis between the LP and the NLC. We went into it and of course, because the NLC saw that we were serious about it, they allowed reconciliation to take place and that also brought succour to the crisis that was on the ground, and we went into the 2023 election with one force even though our presidential candidate was not fully supported by the NLC because the Adam Oshiomole factor in the NLC is very strong.

As of that time, the chairman of the NLC Political Commission was a member of the APC and is still a member as we speak. Of course, he was a member of the campaign committee. Isa Aremu is also a very strong person in the NLC even though he claimed to be an LP member until his name was conspicuously written in the campaign committee of Bola Tinubu. So, the support was not coming but Nigerians did their best considering the integrity of the candidates that the LP brought, and we shook the system as a matter of fact, we believed we won that election, but the judiciary stole it from us. We want to believe that corruption stole that election from us.

So, why are these things happening?

On why these things are happening, they never believed LP could move the way it moved. They never believed in the strength of LP. The people who believe and have been claiming that they held the power of the LP seem to have lost it. The NLC seems to have lost that power, and for the very first time, we give the ruling party a run for their money. So, you will not expect the ruling party to keep quiet. They are the ones behind all of this animosity going on in the party.

Why did you say the APC is behind the crisis in your party?

All the cases against Abure, all the allegations, none of them can be substantiated. We got information that before 2027, there’ll be no more Labour Party. So, we are prepared. That is why we will be challenging all those things headlong to ensure that the LP remains one formidable political party.

Considering what is happening in the party, how can the issue be resolved?

Well, the structure of the party is intact. The National Working Committee is fully on the ground. The NEC, that’s the chairman, and the state secretaries of the 36 states of the federation are also on the ground. We are together. All of us are together and we are in this together. Some people call themselves the ‘Obidient’ group, who are also fighting to get the soul of the party, and we are not against them. It is a democratic system. We are not opposed to people coming in and showing ambition that they want to be the chairman, or they want to be anything in the political party, but you have to start from where you are supposed to start.

You can’t just come into the party and want to take the soul of the party at the national level. We have local governments, and you have to be known in your ward. If you are not known in your ward, how do you want to become a national figure in the political party? As I speak to you, I represent the TUC in the political party. I’m fully known in my ward, from my unit to my ward to the local government and the state.

So, if anybody wants to be anything in the party, you first need to be known as a politician. Of course, politics is local, and we can’t just make you anything if you are useless at your local government level or your ward. You won’t be able to win your unit. All of those things are coming, and we have been explaining to them, and some of them are showing understanding while those who have a different agenda are not showing understanding.

There is a suggestion that the judiciary shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions in post-election matters and that it has become a general profile of the judiciary to avert the course of justice. How will you react to that as regards the 2023 general election?

From what we saw at the Presidential Tribunal up to the Supreme Court where vital issues were not even mentioned in the judgment, it is just more or less like sweeping them under the carpet. I don’t think we should be talking about the judgment that was there long ago, but the fact remains that the confidence of the public on the judiciary is gradually or vastly eroded. I think the judiciary would have to rebuild the confidence in such a manner that they will now have to regain the confidence of the people otherwise they won’t trust them because, in a situation whereby the judiciary cannot have a say in an electoral process, it is unacceptable. I don’t think it is okay.

Maybe what we should be talking about is reform, looking at the recruitment process of the judiciary. Should the President have an approving authority on the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Federation? Should it not be the Senate that should approve such an appointment? Once you say the President should approve, then it means the President has an overriding power over another arm of government, which should not be. Where then lies the separation of power? So, the President should not be the one to approve who becomes the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. That is the legislative arm.

Why should he (President) be the one to approve the appointment of a judge? I mean the Chief Justice of the Federation or any appointment for that matter in the judiciary; he shouldn’t be the one. Apart from appointing a Minister for Justice, the Attorney General of the Federation should be appointed differently. So, these are my simple ways of introducing reforms into the judiciary so that whoever is the Chief Judge will not depend on the President.

Of course, if the President approves their appointments, the current Chief Justice or the previous Chief Justice will have to be loyal to the President because he’s the one who appointed them. If he is the one who will approve the appointment, he is the one who has appointed them. Others conducted the interview, so to speak and the Managing Director approved the appointment, and the letter was issued. So, the Managing Director is the superior here and you owe allegiance to your Managing Director. If the President will continue to be the one to approve the appointment of a CJN, then we have not started. Our democratic system is still very sick.

Do you also subscribe to the claim that the entire disagreement in LP is being sponsored by some people to cause trouble?

Of course, that’s obvious. But we heard the information that some powerful people within the ruling government have vowed that the Labour Party must be scattered. We have that information, and we are prepared for it. We are truly prepared for this and that is why we are still on our feet as we speak.

From the information you got, do you suspect anybody?

Of course, we do suspect the APC. They are the ones behind all of this. We suspect that they are the one. Who has been challenging the APC? Is it not the LP? We have the arbitral threat. From the last election, ,but they fear the LP’s popularity. Now is the beginning of wisdom for the APC. So, they will do everything possible. We know their profile; we know their antecedents. They don’t believe in due process and orderliness; they don’t believe in morality and the fear of God. They don’t believe in all of those.

They got to where they are now by all the available crooked means, including unnecessary protests in Lagos State whereby they were killing cows every day to feed people to protest against the removal of subsidy, but they were the first to remove the subsidy. That was the first agenda. They removed the subsidy. So, who was gaining from the payment of subsidy before now? Who has been the gainer? And why is it (subsidy) now being removed after you protested so vehemently and deceived Nigerian workers into protesting? All of them now are speaking in tongues. They can no longer talk. We know their stock in trade. We understand their antecedents. We know they are the ones that are doing all of these things.


https://punchng.com/apc-afraid-of-labour-partys-popularity-deputy-national-chair/

The fear of Labor party no allow them rest!

APC is afraid of PDP............ NOT LP.

LP is actually helping APC to bring down PDP. It is what it is.

The current party affiliation of the 36 state governors is:

20 All Progressive Congress (APC)
13 People's Democratic Party (PDP)
1 All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
1 Labour Party (LP)
1 New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)

Senate and HOR 👇

This is the obvious truth about all the crisis in LP.
I pray for peace in the labour party, they represent the only hope for the masses and for governance in Nigeria

Kuginzi:
By Ayoola Olasupo

Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, shares his views with AYOOLA OLASUPO on the call for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the persistent crisis in the party, among other issues

After the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party has been facing a leadership crisis to date. In your assessment, what do you think is the cause of the crisis?

I’d like you to know that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are not the only political parties to reckon with, and the Labour Party being very strong was being used for politics by some of the people that claim ownership. It has never been used by the platforms. It has never been supported by the platforms.

When I talk about platforms, I mean the labour movement and we have people in the labour movement who are in the APC holding very high positions. A former NLC president who happens to be the progenitor who signed to form the Labour Party was a governor on the platform of the APC; he was also the national chairman of the APC. He never believed in the Labour Party. If he believed in it, he wouldn’t have left the LP and be contesting and using the heads of Labour to fester his interest in the APC.

You will recall that Olusegun Mimiko also contested on the platform of the LP; he won the election twice and became the governor. Mimiko wasn’t a Labour person per say, aside from being a student unionist in his university and student executive union during his university days, but he used the LP and won elections on that platform. We expect that being an LP governor and Adam Oshiomole being the president of the NLC before becoming governor of Edo State, the two of them would have cooperated with the Labour governor to also possibly defect to that party so that they would have two governors, instead, he was given the Labour governor folder until he was frustrated out of the party and that marked the end of the successes recorded during the Mimiko era.

Now, we felt that the LP should not just be like this. How can Mimiko be perching with chickens and hens on the ground? So, we decided at the level of the TUC youth to form a political commission, and that came as a result of the complaint that had become the deficit of governance; I mean leadership in governance and all of those and the attendance effects on workers’ welfare.

We felt that instead of going out there all the time picketing, going on strike, demonstrating, and all of that every time, why not take the instrument of governance? Let’s take the instrument of power and I mean take over the government and provide a socialist leadership. A government that is socially oriented will provide all the needs of Nigerian workers, whether organised or unorganised. That formed the basis upon which the political commission was created and when that happened, I was the chairman of that political commission.

Are you talking about the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission?

I’m talking about the Trade Union Congress. That was under Quadri Olaleye, and we decided and set out our plan, which was fully supported by the TUC under Olaleye at that time. It was fully supported, and we were able to organise programmes aimed at sensitising Nigerian workers and the crisis between the LP and the NLC. We went into it and of course, because the NLC saw that we were serious about it, they allowed reconciliation to take place and that also brought succour to the crisis that was on the ground, and we went into the 2023 election with one force even though our presidential candidate was not fully supported by the NLC because the Adam Oshiomole factor in the NLC is very strong.

As of that time, the chairman of the NLC Political Commission was a member of the APC and is still a member as we speak. Of course, he was a member of the campaign committee. Isa Aremu is also a very strong person in the NLC even though he claimed to be an LP member until his name was conspicuously written in the campaign committee of Bola Tinubu. So, the support was not coming but Nigerians did their best considering the integrity of the candidates that the LP brought, and we shook the system as a matter of fact, we believed we won that election, but the judiciary stole it from us. We want to believe that corruption stole that election from us.

So, why are these things happening?

On why these things are happening, they never believed LP could move the way it moved. They never believed in the strength of LP. The people who believe and have been claiming that they held the power of the LP seem to have lost it. The NLC seems to have lost that power, and for the very first time, we give the ruling party a run for their money. So, you will not expect the ruling party to keep quiet. They are the ones behind all of this animosity going on in the party.

Why did you say the APC is behind the crisis in your party?

All the cases against Abure, all the allegations, none of them can be substantiated. We got information that before 2027, there’ll be no more Labour Party. So, we are prepared. That is why we will be challenging all those things headlong to ensure that the LP remains one formidable political party.

Considering what is happening in the party, how can the issue be resolved?

Well, the structure of the party is intact. The National Working Committee is fully on the ground. The NEC, that’s the chairman, and the state secretaries of the 36 states of the federation are also on the ground. We are together. All of us are together and we are in this together. Some people call themselves the ‘Obidient’ group, who are also fighting to get the soul of the party, and we are not against them. It is a democratic system. We are not opposed to people coming in and showing ambition that they want to be the chairman, or they want to be anything in the political party, but you have to start from where you are supposed to start.

You can’t just come into the party and want to take the soul of the party at the national level. We have local governments, and you have to be known in your ward. If you are not known in your ward, how do you want to become a national figure in the political party? As I speak to you, I represent the TUC in the political party. I’m fully known in my ward, from my unit to my ward to the local government and the state.

So, if anybody wants to be anything in the party, you first need to be known as a politician. Of course, politics is local, and we can’t just make you anything if you are useless at your local government level or your ward. You won’t be able to win your unit. All of those things are coming, and we have been explaining to them, and some of them are showing understanding while those who have a different agenda are not showing understanding.

There is a suggestion that the judiciary shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions in post-election matters and that it has become a general profile of the judiciary to avert the course of justice. How will you react to that as regards the 2023 general election?

From what we saw at the Presidential Tribunal up to the Supreme Court where vital issues were not even mentioned in the judgment, it is just more or less like sweeping them under the carpet. I don’t think we should be talking about the judgment that was there long ago, but the fact remains that the confidence of the public on the judiciary is gradually or vastly eroded. I think the judiciary would have to rebuild the confidence in such a manner that they will now have to regain the confidence of the people otherwise they won’t trust them because, in a situation whereby the judiciary cannot have a say in an electoral process, it is unacceptable. I don’t think it is okay.

Maybe what we should be talking about is reform, looking at the recruitment process of the judiciary. Should the President have an approving authority on the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Federation? Should it not be the Senate that should approve such an appointment? Once you say the President should approve, then it means the President has an overriding power over another arm of government, which should not be. Where then lies the separation of power? So, the President should not be the one to approve who becomes the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. That is the legislative arm.

Why should he (President) be the one to approve the appointment of a judge? I mean the Chief Justice of the Federation or any appointment for that matter in the judiciary; he shouldn’t be the one. Apart from appointing a Minister for Justice, the Attorney General of the Federation should be appointed differently. So, these are my simple ways of introducing reforms into the judiciary so that whoever is the Chief Judge will not depend on the President.

Of course, if the President approves their appointments, the current Chief Justice or the previous Chief Justice will have to be loyal to the President because he’s the one who appointed them. If he is the one who will approve the appointment, he is the one who has appointed them. Others conducted the interview, so to speak and the Managing Director approved the appointment, and the letter was issued. So, the Managing Director is the superior here and you owe allegiance to your Managing Director. If the President will continue to be the one to approve the appointment of a CJN, then we have not started. Our democratic system is still very sick.

Do you also subscribe to the claim that the entire disagreement in LP is being sponsored by some people to cause trouble?

Of course, that’s obvious. But we heard the information that some powerful people within the ruling government have vowed that the Labour Party must be scattered. We have that information, and we are prepared for it. We are truly prepared for this and that is why we are still on our feet as we speak.

From the information you got, do you suspect anybody?

Of course, we do suspect the APC. They are the ones behind all of this. We suspect that they are the one. Who has been challenging the APC? Is it not the LP? We have the arbitral threat. From the last election, ,but they fear the LP’s popularity. Now is the beginning of wisdom for the APC. So, they will do everything possible. We know their profile; we know their antecedents. They don’t believe in due process and orderliness; they don’t believe in morality and the fear of God. They don’t believe in all of those.

They got to where they are now by all the available crooked means, including unnecessary protests in Lagos State whereby they were killing cows every day to feed people to protest against the removal of subsidy, but they were the first to remove the subsidy. That was the first agenda. They removed the subsidy. So, who was gaining from the payment of subsidy before now? Who has been the gainer? And why is it (subsidy) now being removed after you protested so vehemently and deceived Nigerian workers into protesting? All of them now are speaking in tongues. They can no longer talk. We know their stock in trade. We understand their antecedents. We know they are the ones that are doing all of these things.


https://punchng.com/apc-afraid-of-labour-partys-popularity-deputy-national-chair/

A Yoruba Man with sound moral discipline and deep knowledge of history,not the emilokan bandits.
I love these kind of men to always speak.
You will continue to live long in good health and sound mind sir.
Forget this biased, tribal bigots who are unreasonable and can't speak the truth for once in the lives.

So sooooo TRUE!!!
Lets look at it this way.

Atiku Abubakar is the only candidate that the PDP can present in 2027. If the PDP attempts to present another candidate, it will DIE as a party and will be in the company of BOOT Party. Now, since only Atiku has the opportunity to pick the ticket, PDP will no longer command the grassroot following it had in 2023. This is because Atiku CANNOT win. This is the truth, the only way out for Atiku would be to have the support of Peter Obi, which will NEVER happen as Obi has no interest to join the PDP that is bastardized and dieing. A party that cannot tame her errant members is not good enough for Obidients.

Tinubu on the other hand will struggle to retain power in 2027, no thanks to the economic hardship and the poor showing of APC. APC as a party has not offered Nigeria anything and that is a bad omen for the party. It is seen as a corrupt party and a haven for corruption, especially with what Nigerians are discovering about Buhari's government. That said, the distractions from El Rufai and the Nothern oligarch is not a good sign for a Tinubu's second term. If anything, they would arm-twist him and abandon him like they did to Jonathan.

The key political gladiator of 2027 is Peter Obi. Forget the noises about Obidients disagreements across the state. Obidients are VERY MUCH intact and as a matter of fact expanding into the core Northern territory. If there is anyone with "cult" following today in Nigeria, it is Peter Obi.
If you take a good look at the Edo election, everyone is making attempts to court Obidients, the same applies to other states with mid-term elections.

So, forecasting into 2027, most PDP voters will switch to Peter Obi in places like the middle-belt and South-South. The fight for soull of Lagos would be very brutal, but again, Peter Obi will again defeat Tinubu in 2027. Hopefully, INEC will not tell us that they could not upload results. We are preparing for them, as we are preparing for the miscreants who would want to forment trouble in Lagos. Once Obi clinches Lagos, the rest of the SouthWest would marginally give Tinubu a slight edge in that region.

The SE and SS would be TOTALLY locked-down for Peter Obi come 2027, the batle for NorthCentral would fiercely wound Tinubu and the APC as Obi is sure to take Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and share Kogi and Niger with APC. Abuja will remain locked-down for Peter Obi, no matter what Wike tries, he would be caged and defeated. Abuja no bi Rumuokoro.

The NorthWest would be Tinubu's last hold, but if ElRufai makes good his threat, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi would slip from Tinubu. As for the North East, there would still be a battle ground between Atiku and Tinubu (Shettima) and Peter Obi. Atiku would make effort to make a resounding statement by defeating APC there.

The future looks bright for a New and Better Nigeria.

A less popular labour party shaking the foundations of a wuruwuru apc party that has been existing for over 12 years .
Imagine when labour party strides for another 4years.

some people are born demented! infact most lp nuisance. if there is one person that benefitted from lp emergence,it is APC. fear?? only PDP can hurt APC,apuga,sdp have a better chance!

Chivisee:
some people are born demented! infact most lp nuisance. if there is one person that benefitted from lp emergence,it is APC. fear?? only PDP can hurt APC,apuga,sdp has a better chance!

why didn't the pdp ,apuga, sdp win lagos ,abuja and other major cities including rivers state that the drunkard was upturning. The statement from labour party is reality and not fictional
Bla bla bla bla

lonecatt:
why didn't the pdp ,apuga, sdp win lagos ,abuja and other major cities including rivers state that the drunkard was upturning. The statement from labour party is reality and not fictional
Bla bla bla bla

PDP won Lagos by a wide margin in 2011 so no big deal in lp winning Lagos in 2023

NaijaCowFarm:
So sooooo TRUE!!!
Lets look at it this way.

Atiku Abubakar is the only candidate that the PDP can present in 2027. If the PDP attempts to present another candidate, it will DIE as a party and will be in the company of BOOT Party. Now, since only Atiku has the opportunity to pick the ticket, PDP will no longer command the grassroot following it had in 2023. This is because Atiku CANNOT win. This is the truth, the only way out for Atiku would be to have the support of Peter Obi, which will NEVER happen as Obi has no interest to join the PDP that is bastardized and dieing. A party that cannot tame her errant members is not good enough for Obidients.

Tinubu on the other hand will struggle to retain power in 2027, no thanks to the economic hardship and the poor showing of APC. APC as a party has not offered Nigeria anything and that is a bad omen for the party. It is seen as a corrupt party and a haven for corruption, especially with what Nigerians are discovering about Buhari's government. That said, the distractions from El Rufai and the Nothern oligarch is not a good sign for a Tinubu's second term. If anything, they would arm-twist him and abandon him like they did to Jonathan.

The key political gladiator of 2027 is Peter Obi. Forget the noises about Obidients disagreements across the state. Obidients are VERY MUCH intact and as a matter of fact expanding into the core Northern territory. If there is anyone with "cult" following today in Nigeria, it is Peter Obi.
If you take a good look at the Edo election, everyone is making attempts to court Obidients, the same applies to other states with mid-term elections.

So, forecasting into 2027, most PDP voters will switch to Peter Obi in places like the middle-belt and South-South. The fight for soull of Lagos would be very brutal, but again, Peter Obi will again defeat Tinubu in 2027. Hopefully, INEC will not tell us that they could not upload results. We are preparing for them, as we are preparing for the miscreants who would want to forment trouble in Lagos. Once Obi clinches Lagos, the rest of the SouthWest would marginally give Tinubu a slight edge in that region.

The SE and SS would be TOTALLY locked-down for Peter Obi come 2027, the batle for NorthCentral would fiercely wound Tinubu and the APC as Obi is sure to take Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and share Kogi and Niger with APC. Abuja will remain locked-down for Peter Obi, no matter what Wike tries, he would be caged and defeated. Abuja no bi Rumuokoro.

The NorthWest would be Tinubu's last hold, but if ElRufai makes good his threat, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi would slip from Tinubu. As for the North East, there would still be a battle ground between Atiku and Tinubu (Shettima) and Peter Obi. Atiku would make effort to make a resounding statement by defeating APC there.

The future looks bright for a New and Better Nigeria.

A party without National spread a party of one Governor and 5 senators is the party to beat in 2027, it like u are having a nightmare.

Lazy and stupid people never own their mistakes but always point accusing fingers at others.

I give the poster below 100%.

Basic123:


I tell you

Apapa versus Abure
Obedients:Apapa is working for TINUBU/APC

LP treasurer versus Abure,
Obedients:#LP treasurer is working for TINUBU/APC

NLC Ajaero versus Abure
Obidients:NLC Ajaero is working for TINUBU/APC

Obidients esp Edo obidients vs Abure
Obedients:Abure is working for TINUBU/APC

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MAD PEOPLE,CHECK THE OBEDIENTS

Whatever gives you a chance to sleep at night, brah...

APC is afraiding of Elupee...

LOL... Laughing outside Lagos

Na false hope wey Dey make them lose election be that,mtcheew

Kuginzi:
By Ayoola Olasupo

Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, shares his views with AYOOLA OLASUPO on the call for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the persistent crisis in the party, among other issues

After the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party has been facing a leadership crisis to date. In your assessment, what do you think is the cause of the crisis?

I’d like you to know that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are not the only political parties to reckon with, and the Labour Party being very strong was being used for politics by some of the people that claim ownership. It has never been used by the platforms. It has never been supported by the platforms.

When I talk about platforms, I mean the labour movement and we have people in the labour movement who are in the APC holding very high positions. A former NLC president who happens to be the progenitor who signed to form the Labour Party was a governor on the platform of the APC; he was also the national chairman of the APC. He never believed in the Labour Party. If he believed in it, he wouldn’t have left the LP and be contesting and using the heads of Labour to fester his interest in the APC.

You will recall that Olusegun Mimiko also contested on the platform of the LP; he won the election twice and became the governor. Mimiko wasn’t a Labour person per say, aside from being a student unionist in his university and student executive union during his university days, but he used the LP and won elections on that platform. We expect that being an LP governor and Adam Oshiomole being the president of the NLC before becoming governor of Edo State, the two of them would have cooperated with the Labour governor to also possibly defect to that party so that they would have two governors, instead, he was given the Labour governor folder until he was frustrated out of the party and that marked the end of the successes recorded during the Mimiko era.

Now, we felt that the LP should not just be like this. How can Mimiko be perching with chickens and hens on the ground? So, we decided at the level of the TUC youth to form a political commission, and that came as a result of the complaint that had become the deficit of governance; I mean leadership in governance and all of those and the attendance effects on workers’ welfare.

We felt that instead of going out there all the time picketing, going on strike, demonstrating, and all of that every time, why not take the instrument of governance? Let’s take the instrument of power and I mean take over the government and provide a socialist leadership. A government that is socially oriented will provide all the needs of Nigerian workers, whether organised or unorganised. That formed the basis upon which the political commission was created and when that happened, I was the chairman of that political commission.

Are you talking about the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission?

I’m talking about the Trade Union Congress. That was under Quadri Olaleye, and we decided and set out our plan, which was fully supported by the TUC under Olaleye at that time. It was fully supported, and we were able to organise programmes aimed at sensitising Nigerian workers and the crisis between the LP and the NLC. We went into it and of course, because the NLC saw that we were serious about it, they allowed reconciliation to take place and that also brought succour to the crisis that was on the ground, and we went into the 2023 election with one force even though our presidential candidate was not fully supported by the NLC because the Adam Oshiomole factor in the NLC is very strong.

As of that time, the chairman of the NLC Political Commission was a member of the APC and is still a member as we speak. Of course, he was a member of the campaign committee. Isa Aremu is also a very strong person in the NLC even though he claimed to be an LP member until his name was conspicuously written in the campaign committee of Bola Tinubu. So, the support was not coming but Nigerians did their best considering the integrity of the candidates that the LP brought, and we shook the system as a matter of fact, we believed we won that election, but the judiciary stole it from us. We want to believe that corruption stole that election from us.

So, why are these things happening?

On why these things are happening, they never believed LP could move the way it moved. They never believed in the strength of LP. The people who believe and have been claiming that they held the power of the LP seem to have lost it. The NLC seems to have lost that power, and for the very first time, we give the ruling party a run for their money. So, you will not expect the ruling party to keep quiet. They are the ones behind all of this animosity going on in the party.

Why did you say the APC is behind the crisis in your party?

All the cases against Abure, all the allegations, none of them can be substantiated. We got information that before 2027, there’ll be no more Labour Party. So, we are prepared. That is why we will be challenging all those things headlong to ensure that the LP remains one formidable political party.

Considering what is happening in the party, how can the issue be resolved?

Well, the structure of the party is intact. The National Working Committee is fully on the ground. The NEC, that’s the chairman, and the state secretaries of the 36 states of the federation are also on the ground. We are together. All of us are together and we are in this together. Some people call themselves the ‘Obidient’ group, who are also fighting to get the soul of the party, and we are not against them. It is a democratic system. We are not opposed to people coming in and showing ambition that they want to be the chairman, or they want to be anything in the political party, but you have to start from where you are supposed to start.

You can’t just come into the party and want to take the soul of the party at the national level. We have local governments, and you have to be known in your ward. If you are not known in your ward, how do you want to become a national figure in the political party? As I speak to you, I represent the TUC in the political party. I’m fully known in my ward, from my unit to my ward to the local government and the state.

So, if anybody wants to be anything in the party, you first need to be known as a politician. Of course, politics is local, and we can’t just make you anything if you are useless at your local government level or your ward. You won’t be able to win your unit. All of those things are coming, and we have been explaining to them, and some of them are showing understanding while those who have a different agenda are not showing understanding.

There is a suggestion that the judiciary shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions in post-election matters and that it has become a general profile of the judiciary to avert the course of justice. How will you react to that as regards the 2023 general election?

From what we saw at the Presidential Tribunal up to the Supreme Court where vital issues were not even mentioned in the judgment, it is just more or less like sweeping them under the carpet. I don’t think we should be talking about the judgment that was there long ago, but the fact remains that the confidence of the public on the judiciary is gradually or vastly eroded. I think the judiciary would have to rebuild the confidence in such a manner that they will now have to regain the confidence of the people otherwise they won’t trust them because, in a situation whereby the judiciary cannot have a say in an electoral process, it is unacceptable. I don’t think it is okay.

Maybe what we should be talking about is reform, looking at the recruitment process of the judiciary. Should the President have an approving authority on the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Federation? Should it not be the Senate that should approve such an appointment? Once you say the President should approve, then it means the President has an overriding power over another arm of government, which should not be. Where then lies the separation of power? So, the President should not be the one to approve who becomes the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. That is the legislative arm.

Why should he (President) be the one to approve the appointment of a judge? I mean the Chief Justice of the Federation or any appointment for that matter in the judiciary; he shouldn’t be the one. Apart from appointing a Minister for Justice, the Attorney General of the Federation should be appointed differently. So, these are my simple ways of introducing reforms into the judiciary so that whoever is the Chief Judge will not depend on the President.

Of course, if the President approves their appointments, the current Chief Justice or the previous Chief Justice will have to be loyal to the President because he’s the one who appointed them. If he is the one who will approve the appointment, he is the one who has appointed them. Others conducted the interview, so to speak and the Managing Director approved the appointment, and the letter was issued. So, the Managing Director is the superior here and you owe allegiance to your Managing Director. If the President will continue to be the one to approve the appointment of a CJN, then we have not started. Our democratic system is still very sick.

Do you also subscribe to the claim that the entire disagreement in LP is being sponsored by some people to cause trouble?

Of course, that’s obvious. But we heard the information that some powerful people within the ruling government have vowed that the Labour Party must be scattered. We have that information, and we are prepared for it. We are truly prepared for this and that is why we are still on our feet as we speak.

From the information you got, do you suspect anybody?

Of course, we do suspect the APC. They are the ones behind all of this. We suspect that they are the one. Who has been challenging the APC? Is it not the LP? We have the arbitral threat. From the last election, ,but they fear the LP’s popularity. Now is the beginning of wisdom for the APC. So, they will do everything possible. We know their profile; we know their antecedents. They don’t believe in due process and orderliness; they don’t believe in morality and the fear of God. They don’t believe in all of those.

They got to where they are now by all the available crooked means, including unnecessary protests in Lagos State whereby they were killing cows every day to feed people to protest against the removal of subsidy, but they were the first to remove the subsidy. That was the first agenda. They removed the subsidy. So, who was gaining from the payment of subsidy before now? Who has been the gainer? And why is it (subsidy) now being removed after you protested so vehemently and deceived Nigerian workers into protesting? All of them now are speaking in tongues. They can no longer talk. We know their stock in trade. We understand their antecedents. We know they are the ones that are doing all of these things.


https://punchng.com/apc-afraid-of-labour-partys-popularity-deputy-national-chair/

Apapa versus Abure
Obedients:Apapa is working for TINUBU/APC

LP treasurer versus Abure,
Obedients:#LP treasurer is working for TINUBU/APC

NLC Ajaero versus Abure
Obidients:NLC Ajaero is working for TINUBU/APC

Obidients esp Edo obidients vs Abure
Obedients:Abure is working for TINUBU/APC

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MAD PEOPLE,CHECK THE OBEDIENTS

3 years to another election, labour party is already Dead

Even the blind man knows because both PDP and APC are siamese twin

yarimo:
3 years to another election, labour party is already Dead

LP will outlive APC

Judgementa1:


A party without National spread a party of one Governor and 5 senators is the party to beat in 2027, it like u are having a nightmare.

The simple question to you my friend is. How many times have you mentioned Atiku that came "second" since 2023 elections?
How many times have you showed concerns about NNPP since 2023?

Your concerns about LP & Peter Obi is because you are mortally afraid! You and your APC should really afraid because you will be toally dislodged come 2027

Kuginzi:
By Ayoola Olasupo

Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, shares his views with AYOOLA OLASUPO on the call for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the persistent crisis in the party, among other issues

After the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party has been facing a leadership crisis to date. In your assessment, what do you think is the cause of the crisis?

I’d like you to know that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are not the only political parties to reckon with, and the Labour Party being very strong was being used for politics by some of the people that claim ownership. It has never been used by the platforms. It has never been supported by the platforms.

When I talk about platforms, I mean the labour movement and we have people in the labour movement who are in the APC holding very high positions. A former NLC president who happens to be the progenitor who signed to form the Labour Party was a governor on the platform of the APC; he was also the national chairman of the APC. He never believed in the Labour Party. If he believed in it, he wouldn’t have left the LP and be contesting and using the heads of Labour to fester his interest in the APC.

You will recall that Olusegun Mimiko also contested on the platform of the LP; he won the election twice and became the governor. Mimiko wasn’t a Labour person per say, aside from being a student unionist in his university and student executive union during his university days, but he used the LP and won elections on that platform. We expect that being an LP governor and Adam Oshiomole being the president of the NLC before becoming governor of Edo State, the two of them would have cooperated with the Labour governor to also possibly defect to that party so that they would have two governors, instead, he was given the Labour governor folder until he was frustrated out of the party and that marked the end of the successes recorded during the Mimiko era.

Now, we felt that the LP should not just be like this. How can Mimiko be perching with chickens and hens on the ground? So, we decided at the level of the TUC youth to form a political commission, and that came as a result of the complaint that had become the deficit of governance; I mean leadership in governance and all of those and the attendance effects on workers’ welfare.

We felt that instead of going out there all the time picketing, going on strike, demonstrating, and all of that every time, why not take the instrument of governance? Let’s take the instrument of power and I mean take over the government and provide a socialist leadership. A government that is socially oriented will provide all the needs of Nigerian workers, whether organised or unorganised. That formed the basis upon which the political commission was created and when that happened, I was the chairman of that political commission.

Are you talking about the Nigerian Labour Congress Political Commission?

I’m talking about the Trade Union Congress. That was under Quadri Olaleye, and we decided and set out our plan, which was fully supported by the TUC under Olaleye at that time. It was fully supported, and we were able to organise programmes aimed at sensitising Nigerian workers and the crisis between the LP and the NLC. We went into it and of course, because the NLC saw that we were serious about it, they allowed reconciliation to take place and that also brought succour to the crisis that was on the ground, and we went into the 2023 election with one force even though our presidential candidate was not fully supported by the NLC because the Adam Oshiomole factor in the NLC is very strong.

As of that time, the chairman of the NLC Political Commission was a member of the APC and is still a member as we speak. Of course, he was a member of the campaign committee. Isa Aremu is also a very strong person in the NLC even though he claimed to be an LP member until his name was conspicuously written in the campaign committee of Bola Tinubu. So, the support was not coming but Nigerians did their best considering the integrity of the candidates that the LP brought, and we shook the system as a matter of fact, we believed we won that election, but the judiciary stole it from us. We want to believe that corruption stole that election from us.

So, why are these things happening?

On why these things are happening, they never believed LP could move the way it moved. They never believed in the strength of LP. The people who believe and have been claiming that they held the power of the LP seem to have lost it. The NLC seems to have lost that power, and for the very first time, we give the ruling party a run for their money. So, you will not expect the ruling party to keep quiet. They are the ones behind all of this animosity going on in the party.

Why did you say the APC is behind the crisis in your party?

All the cases against Abure, all the allegations, none of them can be substantiated. We got information that before 2027, there’ll be no more Labour Party. So, we are prepared. That is why we will be challenging all those things headlong to ensure that the LP remains one formidable political party.

Considering what is happening in the party, how can the issue be resolved?

Well, the structure of the party is intact. The National Working Committee is fully on the ground. The NEC, that’s the chairman, and the state secretaries of the 36 states of the federation are also on the ground. We are together. All of us are together and we are in this together. Some people call themselves the ‘Obidient’ group, who are also fighting to get the soul of the party, and we are not against them. It is a democratic system. We are not opposed to people coming in and showing ambition that they want to be the chairman, or they want to be anything in the political party, but you have to start from where you are supposed to start.

You can’t just come into the party and want to take the soul of the party at the national level. We have local governments, and you have to be known in your ward. If you are not known in your ward, how do you want to become a national figure in the political party? As I speak to you, I represent the TUC in the political party. I’m fully known in my ward, from my unit to my ward to the local government and the state.

So, if anybody wants to be anything in the party, you first need to be known as a politician. Of course, politics is local, and we can’t just make you anything if you are useless at your local government level or your ward. You won’t be able to win your unit. All of those things are coming, and we have been explaining to them, and some of them are showing understanding while those who have a different agenda are not showing understanding.

There is a suggestion that the judiciary shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions in post-election matters and that it has become a general profile of the judiciary to avert the course of justice. How will you react to that as regards the 2023 general election?

From what we saw at the Presidential Tribunal up to the Supreme Court where vital issues were not even mentioned in the judgment, it is just more or less like sweeping them under the carpet. I don’t think we should be talking about the judgment that was there long ago, but the fact remains that the confidence of the public on the judiciary is gradually or vastly eroded. I think the judiciary would have to rebuild the confidence in such a manner that they will now have to regain the confidence of the people otherwise they won’t trust them because, in a situation whereby the judiciary cannot have a say in an electoral process, it is unacceptable. I don’t think it is okay.

Maybe what we should be talking about is reform, looking at the recruitment process of the judiciary. Should the President have an approving authority on the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Federation? Should it not be the Senate that should approve such an appointment? Once you say the President should approve, then it means the President has an overriding power over another arm of government, which should not be. Where then lies the separation of power? So, the President should not be the one to approve who becomes the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. That is the legislative arm.

Why should he (President) be the one to approve the appointment of a judge? I mean the Chief Justice of the Federation or any appointment for that matter in the judiciary; he shouldn’t be the one. Apart from appointing a Minister for Justice, the Attorney General of the Federation should be appointed differently. So, these are my simple ways of introducing reforms into the judiciary so that whoever is the Chief Judge will not depend on the President.

Of course, if the President approves their appointments, the current Chief Justice or the previous Chief Justice will have to be loyal to the President because he’s the one who appointed them. If he is the one who will approve the appointment, he is the one who has appointed them. Others conducted the interview, so to speak and the Managing Director approved the appointment, and the letter was issued. So, the Managing Director is the superior here and you owe allegiance to your Managing Director. If the President will continue to be the one to approve the appointment of a CJN, then we have not started. Our democratic system is still very sick.

Do you also subscribe to the claim that the entire disagreement in LP is being sponsored by some people to cause trouble?

Of course, that’s obvious. But we heard the information that some powerful people within the ruling government have vowed that the Labour Party must be scattered. We have that information, and we are prepared for it. We are truly prepared for this and that is why we are still on our feet as we speak.

From the information you got, do you suspect anybody?

Of course, we do suspect the APC. They are the ones behind all of this. We suspect that they are the one. Who has been challenging the APC? Is it not the LP? We have the arbitral threat. From the last election, ,but they fear the LP’s popularity. Now is the beginning of wisdom for the APC. So, they will do everything possible. We know their profile; we know their antecedents. They don’t believe in due process and orderliness; they don’t believe in morality and the fear of God. They don’t believe in all of those.

They got to where they are now by all the available crooked means, including unnecessary protests in Lagos State whereby they were killing cows every day to feed people to protest against the removal of subsidy, but they were the first to remove the subsidy. That was the first agenda. They removed the subsidy. So, who was gaining from the payment of subsidy before now? Who has been the gainer? And why is it (subsidy) now being removed after you protested so vehemently and deceived Nigerian workers into protesting? All of them now are speaking in tongues. They can no longer talk. We know their stock in trade. We understand their antecedents. We know they are the ones that are doing all of these things.


https://punchng.com/apc-afraid-of-labour-partys-popularity-deputy-national-chair/

Honestly any advancement in Labour Party is to the advantage of APC

Justnation:
This is the obvious truth about all the crisis in LP.
I pray for peace in the labour party, they represent the only hope for the masses and for governance in Nigeria

Only hope when the party is an assembly of fraudsters and charlatans who are very hypocritical
A small party that can't even organise themselves want to organise Nigeria
What kind of silly joke is this?
Who is in that party of criminals that was not in the other parties before jumping ship to join lp because they are running from competition

Validated:


The simple question to you my friend is. How many times have you mentioned Atiku that came "second" since 2023 elections?
How many times have you showed concerns about NNPP since 2023?

Your concerns about LP & Peter Obi is because you are mortally afraid! You and your APC should really afraid because you will be toally dislodged come 2027

Labour is known for nothing more than narcissism and that's the reason they attract attack. Stop living in deception.

Judgementa1:


A party without National spread a party of one Governor and 5 senators is the party to beat in 2027, it like u are having a nightmare.

Honestly, how deluded can a human with functional brain be
I think this a result of overdose of comedy movies

Justnation:
This is the obvious truth about all the crisis in LP.
I pray for peace in the labour party, they represent the only hope for the masses and for governance in Nigeria

The fact that LP bIame others for their own wóes clearly shows they are not even a ray of hope for the masses.

jogojogo:

Only hope when the party is an assembly of fraudsters and charlatans who are very hypocritical
A small party that can't even organise themselves want to organise Nigeria
What kind of silly joke is this?
Who is in that party of criminals that was not in the other parties before jumping ship to join lp because they are running from competition

Look at who's talking!


Someone that defended failure Buhari for Solid 8 years.

No one takes you guys serious

KennethOkonkwo:


Apapa versus Abure
Obedients:Apapa is working for TINUBU/APC

LP treasurer versus Abure,
Obedients:#LP treasurer is working for TINUBU/APC

NLC Ajaero versus Abure
Obidients:NLC Ajaero is working for TINUBU/APC

Obidients esp Edo obidients vs Abure
Obedients:Abure is working for TINUBU/APC

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MAD PEOPLE,CHECK THE OBEDIENTS

A party of people living in delusion
As much as I mock them for the crises, I pray they get strong because the stronger they get, the better for APC. That's all they are good for. Nothing more aside narcism

Chigorkizz:

Look at who's talking!


Someone that defended failure Buhari for Solid 8 years.

No one takes you guys serious

We don't need you to take us serious...your seriousness amounts to nothing positive

JagabanB:

The fact that LP bIame others for their own wóes clearly shows they are not even a ray of hope for the masses.

Very irresponsible party
Can't even own up to their mess
The fact that someone from outside the party can put them in disarray shows they are bunch of jokers.....na that kind party be hope of the common party
Very weak and irresponsible Party

jogojogo:

A party of people living in delusion
As much as I mock them for the crises, I pray they get strong because the stronger they get, the better for APC. That's all they are good for. Nothing more aside narcism

Honestly

The fear of Labor party no allow them rest!

jogojogo:

Very irresponsible party
Can't even own up to their mess
The fact that someone from outside the party can put them in disarray shows they are bunch of jokers.....na that kind party be hope of the common party
Very weak and irresponsible Party

Exactly, someone from outside(according to the mób) can easily turn them upside and they think they have a vision.

[quote author=jogojogo post=129198991]
Only hope when the party is an assembly of fraudsters and charlatans who are very hypocritical
A small party that can't even organise themselves want to organise Nigeria
What kind of silly joke is this?
Who is in that party of criminals that was not in the other parties before jumping ship to join lp because they are running from competition [/quote




Then your APC is a party of rogues and armed robbers.
By any standard known or unknown LP is far better than criminal infested Apc