Labour Party Meltdown Looms As NLC Executes Secret Takeover Plan, INEC Drawn In

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has formally petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the withdrawal of official recognition from the Julius Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the disclosure in Abuja, unveiling plans for a coordinated and surprise takeover of Labour Party offices across the states, currently held by Abure’s loyalists.

Speaking ahead of the Congress’s upcoming National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, Ajaero stated that the takeover strategy would be finalized and implemented soon.

“We have already written to INEC, and the details will be ironed out during our NEC meeting,” he said. “This is necessary because the Labour Party is an institutional party founded and owned by the trade unions.”

This move intensifies the ongoing conflict between the NLC and the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC), whose mandate the union claims has expired.

The rift widened after a disputed party convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State—an event the NLC refused to recognize. According to the union, Abure’s continued claim to leadership contravenes earlier agreements with organized labour.

“It’s laughable for anyone to claim control of the Labour Party without the backing of the trade unions,” Ajaero remarked. “The party is a product of the labour movement—not a personal platform.”

While a precise date for the planned takeovers wasn’t disclosed, Ajaero stressed that surprise was a key element of their strategy.
“We’re deliberately keeping the timeline under wraps. All workers have been placed on alert,” he added.