The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, has firmly denied speculations of a rift between the Labour Party (LP) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), describing the reports as unfounded and misleading.
Emetu, who also serves as Chairman of the LP National Steering Committee for Membership Validation, spoke during an interview on the sidelines of the official handover of the committee’s progress report in Abuja.
Labour Party–NLC Crisis: “No Rift, No Division”
Addressing months of speculation surrounding tensions between the Labour Party leadership and the NLC under Joe Ajaero, Emetu insisted the party remains open, inclusive, and united.
Rumours had suggested that the Ajaero-led NLC was considering dissolving the party’s National Caretaker Committee over alleged failures to organise congresses and concerns that internal issues could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, Emetu dismissed the claims.
“Labour Party is a national political platform. It is not a cult group where people are restricted from attending. It is a party for everybody,” he said.
He further pointed out that Ajaero had attended previous meetings with party leaders, underscoring ongoing collaboration between the Labour Party and organised labour.
According to him, the level of trust Nigerians have in the party in Abia State will be replicated at the national level.
Nenadi Usman: Reports of Breakdown ‘Mere Speculation’
The Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, also dismissed claims of strained relations with organised labour.
Usman referenced a Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on January 31 at the Abia Governors’ Lodge in Asokoro, where both NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) officials were present.
“If we are quarrelling, why are we attending meetings together?” she queried.
She stressed that representatives of both labour bodies participated actively, including Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission — evidence, she said, that collaboration remains intact.
LP Secretary: ‘Everything Is Working Together’
Similarly, the Labour Party’s Interim National Secretary, Darlington Nwokocha, rejected allegations of internal division between the party and organised labour.
He maintained that both the NLC and TUC remain critical stakeholders in the party’s structure and decision-making process.
“We don’t have any problem. Our NEC meeting was all-encompassing. Everything is working together,” Nwokocha stated.
Labour Party Repositions for 2027 General Elections
The Labour Party, which emerged as a significant political force during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, has faced internal leadership disputes and restructuring calls in recent months.
However, party leaders insist there is no breakdown in relations with the NLC or other organised labour groups. Instead, they say the party is consolidating its structure and strengthening alliances as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
