In a dramatic turn of events within the Labour Party (LP), Mr Salisu Mohammad, Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT), has announced that Mr Julius Abure’s tenure as national chairman expired on June 9, 2024.
Mohammad made this declaration during a news conference organised by the Labour Party National Transitional Committee (NTC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The NTC’s call for Abure to step down follows a recent stakeholder meeting led by the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee in Umuahia.
Mohammad described the Caretaker Committee’s decision as both lawful and legitimate, emphasising that Abure has been leading the party without proper electoral validation since he took over following the death of former chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam in 2000.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously instructed him to vacate the chair,” Mohammad revealed.
He further stressed that the NTC’s efforts, culminating in the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on September 4, 2024, were crucial in addressing what he termed Abure’s illegality and corruption.
The NTC, facilitated by the Nigerian Labour Congress, supports the NEC’s decision to empower a 29-man Caretaker Committee to organise democratic congresses across various levels of the party.
This intervention is seen as essential to preserving the party’s integrity and democratic values.
Mohammad voiced concerns about the potential destruction of the party by “political contractors,” asserting that the NEC’s intervention is crucial for aligning with the democratic will of millions of Nigerians. He called for Abure to cease his claims to leadership, stating that the future of the Labour Party depends on addressing these internal challenges.
