As the race towards the 2023 general elections gets closer, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is setting the records straight on the presidential candidature of the Labour Party.
President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, yesterday, disowned one Calistus Okafor, claiming to be the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election.
Wabba, while briefing journalists on happenings in the party, maintained that both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, recognise the May 2022 primary election in Asaba, which produced Peter Obi as its presidential candidate.
Wabba therefore urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as the recruitment of Calistus Okafor, ‘a mischievous petty trader, to advance their evil plot of distraction’ in the Party.
In his words, ”It has been brought to our attention that a so-called faction of the Labour Party recently conducted what we can describe as a ‘beer parlour’ presidential primary and supposedly elected a presidential candidate.
“There is only one Labour Party in Nigeria. For the purpose of public education and clarity, we will take a recourse to history. The Labour Party is the creation and offspring of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
“The decision to give birth to the Labour Party was taken by the statutory organs of the NLC and affirmed by the decision of the National Executive Council of Congress at its meeting in Bauchi in 2003 when it approved the formation of the Party for Social Democracy, PSD.”
He added that at the inaugural convention of PSD in 2004, the NLC decided to change the name of PSD to the Labour Party which has remained so since then.
Wabba further stated that Labour Party has since then gone through both bright and blight times. Yet, the ownership of the Party by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress has never been in doubt.
“As a matter of fact, the original certificate of the registration of the Labour Party is domiciled in the national headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Also, a Federal High Court judgement by Justice G.O. Kolawole in March 2018 clearly established that Labour Party belongs to workers.
“The point is that the Labour Party is what the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the leadership of the NLC and TUC recognize. The leadership of the Labour Party led by Barr. Julius Abure, a former trade union leader and workers are part of the leadership. The NLC and TUC are aware of only one presidential primary which was held in Asaba, Delta State on 30th May 2022 and produced His Excellency Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and standard bearer.”