CNPP urges Julius Abure to step down amid leadership crisis

The Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has criticized the leadership of the Labour Party (LP), accusing them of mishandling the ongoing leadership crisis within the party.

The CNPP called on the national chairman of the party, Barr Julius Abure, to resign while the ovation was loudest.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, James Ezema, the CNPP praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for resisting pressure to use its officials to endorse the outcome of the recent contentious fractional national convention of the party.

The statement highlighted the importance of internal democracy in political parties and commended INEC for upholding democratic principles by resisting pressure to endorse the contentious national convention organized by a faction of the party.

The CNPP emphasized the need for inclusive representation, the rule of law, and the protection of rights and liberties within political parties to strengthen democracy.

The statement referenced a judgment of the Federal High Court, which declared the Labour Party as an institutional political party founded by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on behalf of Nigerian workers.

It criticized the Abure faction for holding a national convention that did not meet the standards ordered by the court.

CNPP observed that excluding the NLC and other critical stakeholders in consultations ahead of the convention was a mistake.

It noted that the former national chairman of the Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu, had recognized the NLC’s role by submitting the party’s certificate of registration to the union.

The CNPP stated that the current leadership crisis in the Labour Party could have been avoided if basic democratic principles, including inclusivity, justice, and accountability, had been upheld.