The Lagos State Labour Party (LP) has urged the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, to resign to restore the tainted image of the party.
Addressing journalists in Lagos yesterday, the Lagos State Labour Party Chairman, Rasheed Bamishe, the call for Abure to resign was paramount so that a caretaker national chairman could be appointed to organise state congresses before convening the national convention.
Bamishe, who said Abure was a disaster to the party, called on members of the board of trustees, the national working committee, the two labour centres, and other stakeholders of the Party to also stop Abure from conducting his ‘kangaroo’ National Convention slated for March 27, 2024.
He urged Abure to leave the Party now, alleging that the litany of corrupt cases against him has done collateral damage to the image of the Party.
“The Labour Party which was formed by the founding fathers to be a beckon of hope for millions of Nigerians is gradually being destroyed by Abure and this should not be allowed to continue,” he said.
Bamishe said that as a democratic body, the Labour Party could not be run as a one-man show and as such if Abure was looking for a political party, where he would be a sole administrator, he was free to form his party.
He posited that alleged cases of forgery of signatures of candidates whose names were substituted for the highest bidders, forgery of cheques, and cases of perjury, among others, leveled against the Abure have brought public disgrace and embarrassment to the Party.
“Even if all these allegations are not true, the reasonable option open to the embattled Labour Party National Chairman is to step aside to pave the way for thorough investigations into the cases of alleged fraud against him.
“In a civilized clime, Barrister Abure should have exited office since the flurry of fraud cases against him became public knowledge but because of the culture of impunity in Nigeria, he is still clinging to power,” the state chairman lamented.
He stressed the need for the teeming members of the Party, all the ‘Obedient’ groups in Nigeria to unite and prevail on Abure to resign as National Chairman of the party so that millions of Nigerians can renew their hope in Labour Party as the only political party that would bring forth a new social order to the country.
Bamishe and the state’s party secretary, Fred Haruna, recalled that in 2021, Abure organised the meeting of the National Executive Council of the Party in Benin City, Edo State and forcefully removed Maria Lebeke as the then Acting National Chairman of Labour Party because she is a woman and in a brazen manner assumed the position of National Chairman of the Party.
“Barrister Abure should tell the world where the National Convention of Labour Party in which he emerged as National Chairman was held.
“Barrister Abure is plotting to install himself again as the National Chairman of Labour Party through another illegal Convention and this should not be allowed to happen.”
He stressed the need for all stakeholders to unite to seek all legitimate options, including litigation to make sure that Abure is removed from office to restore credibility, dignity and integrity to the Labour Party.
