The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) political commission has recognised the Labour Party’s (LP) national caretaker committee but raises concerns about its legitimacy.
Theophilus Ndubuaku, acting chairman of the commission, expressed these reservations in response to the appointment of Nenadi Usman.
News About Nigeria reported that Usman, a former senator, was nominated to lead a 29-member caretaker committee.
The caretaker committee was formed on Wednesday, following a party stakeholders’ meeting convened by Alex Otti, Abia’s governor and the party’s highest-ranking elected official.
However, shortly after the announcement, Callistus Okafor, a factional LP national chair, deemed the Usman-led committee unlawful.
Okafor demanded that Otti produce an acknowledgement letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the meeting he convened.
Recall that Julius Abure and Okafor, both factional LP chairs, had previously opposed the stakeholders’ meeting.
Speaking on Friday, Ndubuaku said that the commission played no role in selecting the caretaker committee members.
He said that critical positions like chairman and secretary, were taken with the commission’s exclusion from the process.
Ndubuaku said the commission initiated the push for the removal of the Abure-led NWC, “absolutely with our own resources and virtually without help from our elected and relevant leaders of the political class in the LP.”
“Even though the commission and its NTC were not consulted, the commission believes that Peter Obi and Alex Otti are reasonable leaders who desire the unity, harmony and rancour-free cohesion of the Labour Party,” the statement reads.
“We demand that the commission and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) be given the right to ratify the appointment of the chairman and secretary of the caretaker committee, as well as the composition of the remaining proposed 27 members of the committee.
“We also believe that if there is a need to expand the proposed National Caretaker Committee beyond their present proposed 29-member mark, they will do so.
“That will demonstrate that they are listening leaders who understand that every stakeholder, especially critical blocs like the NLC, TUC, and other entities of our party, should be carried along to have a sense of belonging for our overall membership growth, national expansion, and progress.”
