Our Party Not Anybody’s Tool For ‘Political Insurrection’ – LP Tells NLC

By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta

The opposition Labour Party(LP) in Nigeria on Tuesday declared that the party is not anybody’s tool for executing “selfish agenda” or any “political insurrection,” and advised the Jeo Ajaero – led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) allegedly seeking to hijack it ahead of future elections in the country to look elsewhere for a willing platform.

Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Com. Abayomi Arabambi, in response to a press conference by Prof.Theophilus Ndubaku of the NLC political Commission in company of Prince Roland Dante, chairman of Nigeria Corruption watch, Arabambi accused the NLC of desperately striving to hijack the LP.

Arabambi said this informed the desperation of Prof. Ndubuaku and others to malign the LP National Working Committee under the Leadership of Barr. Julius Abure and Alh. Farouk Umar Ibrahim by casting aspersions on them ostensibly to discredit their soaring reputations, demand their prosecution for alleged forgery and remove them from office to finally pave way for hijacking the party.

The Daily Crucible reports that the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Labour Party had asked the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to charge the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure and three others to court over allegations of perjury, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The committee also called for Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu Clement and Edward Nkwegu Okereke to face the law for the same offence.

The LP’s Acting Chairman of the caretaker committee, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, who addresses the press in Abuja on Monday, urged the AGF to bring the “suspects to court within seven days, as directed by the Inspector General of Police.”

“This demand to ensure that Julius Abure and others are prosecuted without further delays is additionally a public consensus in collaboration with the over 500 civil society organisation (CSO), and all the conveners of anti-corruption initiatives that shall mobilise not less 1000 persons per group to demand for the immediate prosecution of Julius Abure, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu clement and others in line with this press briefing.

“That the The Labour Party National Caretaker Committee (NCC) has noted with great bewilderment how the suspects Julius Abure goes about bragging and boasting that as far as his sister remains the permanent secretary of Ministry of Justice in Abuja, that nobody can prosecute him nor his criminal accomplices.

“That these criminal elements violated with impunity the FCT High Court Restraining Order of 4th April 2023 that restrained Julius Abure, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu clement for perjury, forgery and criminal conspiracy from parading themselves as National officials of the Labour Party LP and how they proceeded to conduct illegal and unlawful NEC meeting in Asaba Delta State on 17th April 2023 while on subsisting FCT High Court Restraining Order and yet paraded themselves as officials of the Labour Party in Nigeria is still a mystery and their unlawful action rendered illegal null and void.

“That the The Labour Party National Caretake Committee, NCC hereby call on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF-MJ) to without further delay bring the suspects to Court within seven (7) days, as directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP.,” Ndubuaku had said.

However, the LP Publicity Secretary urged Ndubuaku and his Principal, Joe Ajaero to know that Abure, Umar Ibrahim and Clement Ojukwu have no case to answer henceforth from the NLC.

•Arabambi on Tuesday.

He also urged Nigerians to disregard all such news items from Ndubuaku’s press conference, saying it reeks of falsehood from disgruntled elements out to cause mischief.

Arabambi said, “First, the forensic report and the investigative Police report from the Police have stated clearly that there was no forgery. The file that was forwarded to the Attorney General has since been returned to the Police on the ground that the forensic report exonerated the four persons in its entirety

The Court of Appeal in a judgement delivered by Hon Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, Hon Justice Adebukola Banjoko and Hon Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah on the 6th day of March 2023 in suit nos CA/ABJ//CV/559/2023 has set aside the allegations of Forgery, Perjury and Criminal conspiracy and only the supreme Court is the only court that has the jurisdiction set it aside

“The Inspector General of police can not thus be held culpable of any misdeed and abdication of duties to prosecute since the court of appeal judgement was the major reasons why the police can not proceed as directed.

“Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku and his master Mr Joe Ajaero must at this juncture know that Barr.Julius Abure, Alh. Farouk Umar Ibrahim and Clement Ojukwu have no case to answer henceforth from some interests in NLC

“It is therefore laughable that someone will be giving ultimatum to the Attorney General of the Federation in a case that has already been settled by the court of Appeal. It is therefore clear that Mr. Ndubuaku and his gang action are clearly antithetical to all provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended with respect to strict adherence to rule of law.”

Continuing, he added:”…We have shown that we are a great and purposeful organization working for the greater interest of Nigeria thus NLC Leadership must be dreaming if they think that they can hijack the Labour Party and use it for their selfish goal of political insurrection.

“Labour Party is not available for that, and we advise them to go and find a decent job to do. No amount of pressure, blackmail or false information can force the LP leadership to handover the party to them.

“We also wish to alert the general public to note that Mr. Ndubaku and his cohorts usually wake up from their slumber each time a major election is to hold. Nigerians will recall how in 2024, during the activities leading to the Ondo state governorship election, how Prof. Ndubaku and his gang of irritants cornered some desperate governorship aspirants and sold forms to them and promised them the party’s ticket. What happened to those aspirants?

“They are on the match again. The process to the Anambra state governorship election is on going, and they will try to entice some uninformed aspirants.

“We are using this opportunity to inform Nigerians to be aware of such persons. We are also calling on the security agencies to begin to investigate them.”