The Labour Party (LP), led by Barrister Julius Abure, has denied allegations of collaborating with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The clarification was made in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Friday.
The party described the claims as “misleading and mischievous.”
Ifoh attributed the allegations to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and former party chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, stating that they are attempting to “demarket” the Labour Party in favour of rival parties.
According to him, the party’s recent court victories are not linked to the APC.
“The Labour Party has been and is still critical of APC more than NLC,” Ifoh said.
The statement said, “It has become imperative for the leadership of the Labour Party to quickly respond to the handiwork of our adversaries and those who want to desperately frustrate the leadership of the Labour Party at all cost.
“After the landmark court judgment affirming Abure as the national chairman of the party, some persons including a former Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, and the acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, have tried to push the narrative that Abure is working for the APC and that is why the Labour Party has been winning all its court cases.
“I must put it clearly that this narrative is not only misleading and mischievous but also a calculated attempt to continue to distract, derail, and also give the party leadership a bad name to hang it. It is sufficient for us to put it on record that the Labour Party is not working for APC and that the Labour Party is autonomous.”
“I must state clearly that the Labour Party has been and is still critical of APC more than NLC. We put it on record that the NLC, in all its ramifications, has failed the Nigerian workers. If there is any leadership of the party from its inception that has been very critical of the government, it is the Abure leadership of the Labour Party.
“For any person to say that that leadership is working for APC-led government, it can only be mischief carried too far and a calculated attempt to distract the leadership of the party. So it is very clear that it is even the NLC that is working for the APC, and for them to accuse the Labour Party of working for the APC is ironic and laughable. We want to advise the NLC that it is time it focused on its primary duty.
“For Kenneth Okonkwo, we have decided that we won’t join issues with him because it is very clear that he is still ‘living in bondage’. Today, he says one thing with one side of his mouth. Tomorrow, he will say a different thing from the other side of his mouth. We can only advise him that there is a huge difference between politics and skit-making. He should consider concentrating on the latter to boast his followership,” he stated.
