By Raymond Korede
In a fiery statement issued on the 8th of April, 2025, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on all Nigerian workers, genuine Labour Party (LP) members, and lovers of democracy to be on standby following a Supreme Court judgment that declared Julius Abure’s tenure as Labour Party Chairman officially over.
The apex court’s ruling, delivered on Friday, April 4, 2025, stated unequivocally that Mr. Abure and members of his National Working Committee (NWC) no longer hold any legal standing as leaders of the party. However, in defiance of the judgment, Abure has reportedly continued to issue press releases asserting his authority over the Labour Party.
Reacting to what it termed “an affront to the rule of law,” the NLC condemned Mr. Abure’s rejection of the court’s decision.
“The Supreme Court is one of the most enduring institutions and beacons of not only the rule of law but our sovereignty as a country,” said NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero. “Nigerian workers and people, especially genuine members of the Labour Party, will not sit back and watch unscrupulous elements desecrate Nigeria’s laws and the well-founded judgment of the Supreme Court.”
The NLC accused Abure and his allies of showing “crass disdain for decency” and “utmost disrespect for Nigeria’s laws.” The statement also rejected recent allegations made by Abure’s camp that the NLC was planning to attack Labour Party offices, calling them false and inflammatory.
“Characters like Mr. Julius Abure must recuse themselves from the path of complete self-destruction they have embarked upon,” Ajaero warned. “We are determined to recover and reposition the Labour Party as the vehicle for the emancipation of the Nigerian masses.”
The NLC called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to act in accordance with the court’s ruling by removing Abure and his NWC from all official records and portals.
Furthermore, the organization urged security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), to enforce the Supreme Court’s judgment and not lend legitimacy to what they described as “an unmitigable assault on constitutional rule.”
“Any action to the contrary will present our dear country as a banana republic,” the statement added.
In a call to action, the NLC advised its members and Labour Party faithful to prepare for a peaceful reclamation of LP offices across the country. The group said directives to this effect would be issued shortly by the NLC Political Commission and other Labour Party stakeholders.
To fill the leadership vacuum, the NLC proposed that surviving members of the LP National Executive Committee appoint an interim leadership team to organize a Special National Convention, in line with the party’s constitution and the recent court judgment.
“A word is enough for the wise,” Ajaero concluded.
The press release was jointly signed by NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero, General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, and Treasurer Ambali Akeem Olatunji.
