Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Labour Party (LP) alleges that the National Labour Congress (NLC) is being paid by political rivals to undermine former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi.
At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Barrister Kehinde Edun, the party’s National Legal Adviser, claimed the NLC is targeting Obi, not the party itself. “They know who will likely be chosen as the presidential candidate again in 2027,” Edun said.
Edun urged the NLC to focus on its core duties saying that “The NLC should leave the Labour Party alone and concentrate on its mandate. They should determine if they can recover their standing or remain relevant.”
He further argued that the NLC’s actions are illegal: “Their attempt to hijack our party is unconstitutional, as clearly outlined in Sections 221 to 229 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Additionally, Sections 15(1) to 15(3) of the Trade Union Act prohibit the NLC from using its funds for political purposes.
“We raise the question: where are they getting the money to cause this trouble? Are they being paid by the APC, or are they flouting the law by using union funds for political objectives? Section 15(3)(a) of the Act clearly defines ‘political objective’ to include ‘the making of any contribution towards the funds of any political party.’ The NLC should cease and desist from these activities.”
Edun went on to claim that the NLC leadership and its associated committees are not party members.
“They are external attackers paid by rival political parties to launch a smear campaign and vicious attacks against our party leaders.
“The NLC leadership knows they are not registered members of our party and therefore have no stake in it. Their claim to any stake is demonstrably false and mischievous.”
Edun also accused the NLC of misleading the public ,saying that they continue to deceive gullible people and are thus willing tools in the hands of dubious politicians and some of our elected members who want to create the appearance of a crisis to justify defection.”
Regarding a previous court judgment, Edun dismissed the NLC’s claims, Edun said “The NLC’s constant agitation over a consent judgment or agreement has become tiresome, distasteful, and deplorable.
“Are they suggesting our courts are powerless to enforce their own rulings? The NLC should be ashamed if they truly possess an enforceable judgment from 2018 and have been unable to benefit from it. The truth is, there is no court order against the Labour Party, so the question of disobeying a court order is irrelevant.”