Constitutional crisis, violence mar NLC election

• PDP, APC battle for control of union

A MAJOR constitutional crisis marred the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) election yesterday, as members’ political leaning truncated the 11th delegates’ conference, which was expected to have produced new officers.

   The situation may have been fanned by the general elections coming up later in March. While the power of incumbency rests with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party is not unmindful of former president of the NLC and Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, who is a member of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

   Unconfirmed report in Abuja said yesterday that there had been meetings between some power blocks in the NLC with the PDP and APC, as both sought to get labour’s backing in the forthcoming election and were not leaving anything to chance in the race to get their preferred candidates into office.

   Sign of trouble began when the National President of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Najeem Yasin, was cleared by the delegates’ conference to contest as a deputy president. The Credentials Committee headed by the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nasir Fagge, and Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, had earlier disqualified Yasin on the ground of improper filling of nomination form.

   This clearance also opened the door for the President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Igwe Achese, who stepped down for the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero. The withdrawal was seen as a violation of the constitution but was allowed because of the earlier waiver granted Yasin. Igwe was therefore cleared to contest for deputy president.

   The Guardian learnt, however, that NUEE members scuttled the process when it was obvious that they were not going to win the election. Some delegates blamed the secretariat for not making cohesive security arrangements, especially in the face of petitions to the Department of State Security (DSS) by one of the constants.

   Just before then, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Issa Aremu, had protested against the waiver and led his union to walk out on the conference.

   Aremu later said in a telephone conversation: “We are not puling out of the NLC but of the delegates’ conference because of the fact that the constitution of congress had been breached. At the appropriate time, we may even consider court option but for now, we are still watching as events unfold.”

   As things stand in the NLC, only an extra-ordinary delegates’ conference will resolve the constitutional crisis. Being the highest decision-making body, the delegates’ conference is expected to sanction those culpable and may even suspend them from the election proper for indecent behaviour.

   Meanwhile, Ajaero has urged the intervention of veterans in the dispute, noting that the election was stopped due to some irregularities discovered on the ballot papers. Making a veiled call for a caretaker committee, Ajaero urged elders and veterans of Congress to ensure there was no vacuum.

   “The dilemma we found ourselves in this morning is that a new president should have been sworn in,” he said. “We wish to appeal to the elders of the movement to do the needful to make sure there is no vacuum in the NLC. This is our message and we apologise to Nigerians who may feel insulted by this show of shame.”

   According to him, his group has evidence that ballot papers have duplicated name of a candidate while some papers do not bear his name and those that have his name do not have serial number, which could nullify his vote.