The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Wednesday, expressed concern that the ruling oligarchy and suspected saboteurs have infiltrated the rank of its Obidient Movement to pull down the party.

Abure raised the alarm at a press conference held at the party secretariat in Abuja.

The Obidient Movement, birthed in the build-up of the 2023 general election, comprises young Nigerians who see the hope of a new Nigeria in the candidacy of LP Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi.

The impact of the group was felt when it powered the Labour Party to a stunning performance at the February 25 presidential and national legislative elections.

To date, LP has one elected governor, 35 members of the House of Representatives and seven senators to its credit.

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But Abure told journalists that the recent attitude of some Obidient members has given a notion that the movement may have been penetrated by the ruling oligarchy to erode all the gains they made in the past year.

He said, “I also want to appeal to the Obidient movement to remain in the party and be patient to learn the rudiments of politics. It is also my appeal that they should endeavour to find time to read the Constitution of the party, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution. This will enable them to make a well-informed opinion about the activities of the party.

“I must say that a lot of people, particularly, the ruling oligarchy have no doubt, infiltrated the Obidient Movement and they are currently striving to carry some innocent Obidient along in derailing and unnecessarily criticising the party to bring it to disrepute and pull it down.

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“This is not to say, however, that some of the complaints from the Obidients are not germane. But part of these complaints is that those who want to belong to the party have not been fully absorbed.”

To resolve the plethora of complaints bombarding the party frequently, the LP national chairman announced that a directorate has been created to attend to the affairs of the Obidient movement.

Abure said he was excited about the prospect knowing that considerable members of the group are chairmen and executives at the wards, local governments, states and national levels.

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“To attend swiftly to most complaints of Obidients, we have decided to create a whole directorate dedicated to the family. That directorate will coordinate the registration of members and integrate them fully into the structure of the party.

“The directorate will also ease Diaspora participation, bring complaints to the attention of the party leadership, coordinate the collection of dues and donations to the party and ensure all Obidients are financial members.

“They will work closely with the National Youth Leader, National Women Leader, and National Organizing Secretary to create programs that will fully and effectively assimilate all members of the Obidient family to the party.

“As the national leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi, said, the national convention has come and gone. It is therefore imperative for us to put our differences aside and collectively work in the interest of the party and Nigerians who are currently suffering amid plenty. The Nigerian people have a common enemy which I refer to as the ruling oligarchy in Nigeria. They have held the country captive and ensured that our common patrimony is stolen.”

Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, on Wednesday, appealed to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, to set aside his differences and work together with the party leadership for old-time’s sake.

Abure made the plea at his first press conference following the April 3 fire incident that almost claimed his life at his Abuja residence.

Both Abure and Ajaero had been at loggerheads following several attempts made by the congress to take control of the party structure over claims the embattled LP chairman was running a one-man show amid allegations of financial malfeasance.

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The LP camp had also made a counterclaim that Ajaero was desperately seeking to evict the Abure-led National Working Committee with an ulterior motive to use the party as a transactional platform ahead of the 2027 election.

Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat in Abuja, Abure described the NLC president as a friend and brother having worked together in the trenches over the years fighting for the welfare of workers.

The LP national chairman therefore urged the union leader to put aside his grievances and support their effort to rebuild the country in the interest of Nigerians.

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He said, “Consequently, I want to appeal first to my brother, friend and Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC whom we have worked together in the trenches over the years in the struggle for workers, to put aside whatever may be his grievances. Let’s work in the interest of our people.

“Fighting the Labour Party is uncalled for and unwarranted, especially at this time when the working people of Nigeria are suffering. As we speak today, the minimum wage is still N30,000. There are unfair workers practices by employers across the country. The inflation in Nigeria is unprecedented and nobody talks about workers welfare.

“For us, we need to team up together to be able to fight for better working conditions for our people. We need not waste or dissipate our collective energies in fighting ourselves over nothing. The NLC should know by now that the attempt being made to take over the leadership of the party will not work. It is my appeal that working together is better.”

Mr Gboyega Soyannwo, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is dead.

Soyannwo, 55, was said to have died on Wednesday after a brief illness.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, disclosed this in a statement titled “Transition.”

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The statement read, “With deep sorrow, the Lagos State Government announces the passing of the Deputy Chief of Staff to Mr Governor, Mr Gboyega Soyannwo.

“Soyannwo died today after a brief illness. He was 55.

“Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on behalf of the Government and people of Lagos, sends his condolences to the Soyannwo family.”

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Omotosho said Sanwoolu broke the news of the death to cabinet members at the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

“I have lost a brother and a servant of the people,” the governor was quoted as saying while breaking the news.

After a minute’s silence in honour of the deceased, Sanwo-Oluended the meeting.

Soyannwo is survived by a wife and two children.