JUST IN: NLC begins Nationwide Protest Today over failure of the Government to pay Salaries

The Labour Party on Saturday admonished the president of the

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, to focus more on the issues affecting workers, instead of tarnishing the image and undermining the leadership of the party.

In a statement sent to journalists, the national chairman of the Labour Party, Abdulkadir Abdusalam, said NLC is not and cannot be the owners of Labour Party as argued by Wabba.

Mr Wabba last week said the NLC was the rightful manager of the Labour Party and would not allow the Mr Abdusalam leadership tarnish the image of the party by giving its presidential ticket to Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party.

In his statement, Mr Abdusalam also highlighted that the 1999 Constitution prohibits any association from contributing to the funds of any political party.

”While we acknowledge the solidarity of organized labour with our party, we state that the Nigeria Labour Congress is not and cannot be the owners of Labour Party as argued by Wabba by virtue of section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended), which prohibits any association from contributing to the funds of any political party.

“It is a criminal offence under section 15 of the Trade Union Act, to use Trade Union Funds directly or indirectly to fund a Political Party.”

Moreover, he said once a political party is registered, it has a life of its own, and it can only be regulated by its constitution (see section 80 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended)).

According to Mr Abdusalam, in the past, the party had at several times, warned Mr Wabba to focus more on his job as president of the Nigerian Labour Congress and address issues affecting workers not focusing with the administration of Labour Party of Nigeria .

”Nigerians are not unaware that workers are in want and poverty occasioned by the current low minimum wage, unpaid salaries and allowances while others have been sacked indiscriminately,” he said.

Mr Abdusalam noted that the declaration by the immediate past governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, to run for president was not a convention.

”Let it be on record that the event of 13th September 2018 where the former Ondo State governor declared his intention to run for the office of President of Nigeria, was not a convention but a visit to announce his interest and identify fully with the party.

”Only people ignorant of basic party procedures will see the collection of expression of interest process as convention!” he said.