President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has raised serious allegations against government agencies, accusing them of orchestrating coordinated plots to destabilise the Labour Party (LP), the political platform closely aligned with Nigeria’s working class.
Speaking during a meeting of the Labour Party’s National Executive Council (NEC) held in Abuja on Wednesday, Ajaero condemned what he described as a “sinful interference” in the internal affairs of the party, stressing that the LP, by global standard, should remain a workers-led platform.
“All agencies of government are involved in these destabilisation plots. All of us should understand it clearly,” he said. “They must be told to remove their hands from the organisation of the workers’ party. That is a sin.”
He cited international examples of Labour Party models, particularly referencing the British Trade Union Congress, where unions have long played a central role in party operations. Ajaero questioned why Nigeria should be an exception to this norm.
Reaffirming the LP’s identity as a platform open to all Nigerians regardless of background, Ajaero said: “This is the only party where the son of nobody can become somebody.” He pointed to the 2023 general elections where individuals like commercial motorcycle riders and grassroots candidates won seats in the National Assembly through the LP.
Ajaero also responded to interpretations of Supreme Court rulings regarding party governance, asserting that internal crisis resolution remains the prerogative of political parties, not the judiciary. “It is not the Supreme Court that makes up the Labour Party,” he stated.
In a major policy stance, Ajaero announced that the NLC would welcome political defectors into the LP, saying the move is in line with the party’s mission to provide a fair political opportunity to every Nigerian. “LP is not strictly for workers or NLC; it is a party formed by Congress and given to Nigerians with a clear-cut ideology,” he added.
Taking a swipe at mainstream political parties that charge exorbitant fees for nomination forms, Ajaero reaffirmed the LP’s commitment to affordable political participation. “In LP, we do not charge hundreds of millions to contest elections because we cannot afford it. We are contesting because we want to add value to society and provide succour to the oppressed,” he said.
He concluded with a pledge: “The NLC is ever committed to making sure that our party works.”
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