I’m Still Labour Party National Chairman, Abure Maintains As He Gets NLC’s Backing

I’m Still Labour Party National Chairman, Abure Maintains As He Gets NLC’s Backing

Julius Abure has rejected what he described as “illegitimate” executive members of the Labour Party (LP) and maintained he remains the National Chairman of the party.

According to a Channels TV online report, some members of the LP National Working Committee led by the Deputy National Chairman of the party (South) Lamidi Apapa on Thursday took over the affairs of the party following a court judgment restraining Abure and three others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

Lamidi had declared himself as the Acting National Chairman of the party, saying Saleh Lawan is the Acting National Secretary.

But in a swift reaction, Abure faulted the move and accused the police of collaborating with the masterminds to gain entrance into the party’s secretariat in Abuja where Lamidi took the decision.

“A court of competent jurisdiction only yesterday ordered that I, Julius Abure remain the National Chairman, and should not be restrained from performing my duties, it, therefore, baffles me why the Nigerian Police should allow itself to be used to perpetrate illegalities,” he said in Thursday statement.

He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the plot and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to “call his party, the APC to order and also rein them in from using unorthodox means to suffocate political structures in Nigeria”.

“We advise the Police, APC, and their sponsors to play by the rules. We will no longer tolerate the often intimidation and deployment of brute forces against the party and its personnel,” the statement added.

“We demand they put a stop to the abuse of power and respect the rights and privileges of other political parties, particularly, the Labour Party to contest for power.”

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed Abure.