The Labour Party (LP) has rejected accusations from the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission (NLC-PC), which alleged that Julius Abure, the party’s national chairman, has been advancing the interests of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing the matter in Abuja, LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, clarified that the claims are part of a deliberate effort to discredit Abure’s leadership.
According to Ifoh, these allegations, which were made by individuals such as Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo and NLC-PC Acting Chairman Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, are based on the party’s recent court victories, falsely implying that the Labour Party’s success in legal battles is due to a hidden alliance with the APC.
Ifoh stated, “Recently, after the landmark court judgment affirming the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party, some persons, including a former nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, and the acting chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, have tried to push the narrative that the Labour Party, under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure, is working for the APC, and that is why the LP has been winning all its court cases.”
He dismissed these allegations, calling them “misleading” and “mischievous,” designed to derail the party’s leadership.
He also criticized the NLC for its failure to defend Nigerian workers in a time of economic hardship.
Ifoh remarked, “I must state clearly that the LP has been and is still critical of APC more than NLC. We put it on records that the NLC, in all its ramifications, has failed the Nigerian workers. Today, Nigerian workers are oppressed, the economy is not working, there are unfair practices against workers, and nobody speaks for the oppressed workers in Nigeria, except the current leadership of the party.”
He emphasized that Abure’s leadership has consistently held the government accountable, positioning the LP as one of the most vocal critics of the APC since the 2023 general elections.
“If there is any leadership of the party from inception that has been very critical of the government, it is the Abure leadership of Labour Party,” Ifoh said, highlighting that under Abure, the LP has achieved remarkable results, including a significant number of electoral victories.
“Today, we can boast that the Labour Party won a majority of votes in the 2023 presidential election and produced a governor, 8 senators, 35 House of Representatives members, and several other members of the House of Assembly across the country. From the 2023 general election till now, Labour Party has been a very vibrant and strong opposition party to this present government.”
Ifoh pointed out that it is ironic for the NLC to accuse the LP of collaborating with the APC, as the NLC itself has failed to advocate for workers’ rights.
“If there is any organisation that is working for the current government in power, we can assume without hesitation that it is the Nigeria Labour Congress,” Ifoh added, calling on the public to view the allegations as a calculated distraction from the real issues.
