The Labour Party has rejected the Nigeria Labour Congress’s (NLC) demand for an investigation into allegations of
forgery against the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure.
Abayomi Arabambi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, described the NLC’s call as a “political gimmick” and a
“waste of time”. Arabambi pointed out that the allegations had already been settled by a March 2023 judgement of
the Court of Appeal in Abuja, as well as forensic and police investigative reports, which cleared Abure of any wrongdoing.
The NLC Political Commission Chairman, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Corruption
Watch, Dandy Rowland, had demanded Abure’s prosecution over allegations of perjury, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
However, Arabambi maintained that the Court of Appeal judgement had set aside all allegations of forgery, perjury,
and conspiracy, and that only the Supreme Court had the authority to overturn the ruling.
The Labour Party spokesman also accused Ndubuaku and NLC President, Joe Ajaero, of attempting to use
intimidation tactics to discredit the party leadership.
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Arabambi emphasised that the continued attempts to smear the party leadership through baseless allegations would
not be tolerated. He insisted that Abure, the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Umar Ibrahim, and Clement
Ojukwu had no case to answer.
The Senator Nanedi Usman-led Labour Party Caretaker Committee had also insisted that Abure and some national
officers of the party be prosecuted, lamenting what it described as an unjustifiable delay in their prosecution.
Arabambi’s response highlights the ongoing tensions between the Labour Party and the NLC. The party’s leadership
has been accused of various allegations, but Arabambi’s statement suggests that these claims are unfounded and politically motivated.
