The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party deepened on Friday as the ousted National Chairman, Julius Abure, vowed not to relinquish the party’s national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, to the Senator Nenadi Usman-led interim leadership, despite her recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Abure, who spoke through his Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, at a press conference in Abuja, also alleged that there were ongoing plans to arrest him and members of his National Working Committee.
The development comes amid heightened tension at the party’s headquarters following a Federal High Court pronouncement directing INEC to recognise Usman’s leadership — a decision that has further polarised the party.
Challenging the move to take over the secretariat, Olorunfemi said, “Is the pronouncement of a Federal High Court which says that INEC should recognise Nenadi the same thing as invading and taking over our secretariat? That cannot be.
“Of course, INEC has played its part by putting her name on its portal and choosing wherever they want to operate from. But there is no address in what INEC put.
“That secretariat remains our office. They, on the other hand, can decide to go and rent any facility and call it their office. There is nothing wrong with that. But we are not leaving that party then,” he stated.
He dismissed claims that his faction forcefully entered the premises, insisting that the documents in the office belonged to them.
“How can any reasonable person be talking about breaking in? Do you break into what you already have? The documents in that office are ours not theirs. They are impostors and usurpers,” he added.
Our correspondent had reported a heavy security presence at the national secretariat on Tuesday as Usman took over the headquarters from the Abure-led faction.
When our correspondent visited the premises, gun-totting policemen were stationed within and around the secretariat.
All Labour Party banners and billboards bearing the images of Abure and his executives had been replaced with those of Usman.
Party supporters, members and journalists were subjected to strict security screening before gaining access.
Usman later confirmed the takeover through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa.
But Abure’s camp alleged that the action was premeditated.
“In the past one year, there have been all manner of threats by some disgruntled elements in the Labour Party to picket, invade and occupy the National Secretariat of the Labour Party in Utako, the Federal Capital Territory.
“On several occasions, they have actually made good their threats by breaking into the Secretariat but were met with stiff resistance. However, the latest invasion was carried out at about 1am on Tuesday when some hoodlums scaled into the party compound to pull down the party’s billboards and replace them with those of Nenadi Usman.
“We are however, dismayed to find a larger contingent of police officers on Wednesday who barricaded the premises but permitted certain individuals from a faction to enter to hoist their banners.
“We had expected that if the office was going to be sealed off temporarily, no group should be allowed access so as not to create the impression of bias on the side of the police.”
The factional chair, however, disclosed that the faction had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over the alleged conduct of officers of the FCT Command.
“We implore the IGP to use his good office in directing that the police officers maintain neutrality in their current intervention at the Labour Party National Headquarters,” he urged.
On the legal tussle, Olorunfemi said the faction had filed an appeal against the court decision.
He further alleged plans to arrest members of the faction’s leadership.
“We also have it on good authority that there are plans to arrest some of our national officers, including our national chairman for daring to stand up against the impunity of a South East governor.
“As we await the arrest, we call on all lovers of democracy to stand up and protect this democracy that we all fought for. There is a limit to how long this impunity can last.
“We are calling on our party faithful to remain calm as the party leadership is doing everything within the law to ensure that justice is achieved for the party,” he noted.
The latest twist comes barely 24 hours after Usman and the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Benson Upah, called on the Department of State Services and other security agencies to arrest Abure over what they described as his agitation to reclaim the party’s national secretariat.
Addressing journalists at the secretariat on Wednesday, Usman had accused Abure of unlawfully entering the premises and allegedly carting away official party documents.
She described the action as criminal and shameful, insisting that documents belonging to any institution must remain in the office to preserve institutional memory and continuity.
