By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Umar, has been appointed by the stakeholders of the Labour Party to head the Transition Committee.
Appointed as co-chairmen at the stakeholders meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday are Professor Sam Amadi and Abiodun Olamosu, while Nnawuihe Nwauwa is the secretary.
Announcing this after the meeting, the acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, said that stakeholders nominated capable hands covering all shields of membership of the Labour Party, including the statutory members.
Ndubuaku, who said the stakeholders meeting was the second held by the NLC Political Commission, explained that given the vacuum at the Labour Party as a result of the exit of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, NWC, a Transition Committee was put in place to conduct Congress within 90 days.
“At the meeting, the stakeholders unanimously resolved that the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Abdulwaheed Umar should head the Transition Committee of the Labour Party,” he said.
He also said that 13 sub-committees were established, adding that members of the committees were drawn from different stakeholders from different parts of the country.
“With what we have done today, we don’t have any vacuum in Labour Party, we have filled the vacuum in the party. Within 90 days, we expect that the convention must have been conducted. Every stakeholder including the past National Working Committee was carried along,” he said
In his acceptance speech, the former NLC President, Comrade Umar said, “What happened today is the fulfilment of the resolution of the meeting of shareholders that was led earlier. By the grace of Almighty God, within the stipulated time, we will be able to carry out our assignment.
“We are going to work together to ensure that whatever decisions we take must be a collective decision. From today, the leadership of Labour Party is no other than the Transition Committee.”
The Transition Committee Chairman noted that the Labour Party has operated with three different constitutions, and alleged that the Abure-led NWC operated with two constitutions.
He said all the operations of the Committee will be guided by the 2009 Constitution of the party, adding that it will be operating from the party’s secretariats both in Abuja and in states.
He said the Transition Committee will inform the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of the outcome of the stakeholders meeting.
Earlier at the meeting, the Labour Party Presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi appealed to every member to reconcile their differences and work together.
Obi, who was represented at the meeting by Tanko Yunusa, also stated that he has not endorsed anyone as the Labour Party’s chairman as was published in the media.
He said his interest was to carry everybody along and to have a strong family that would midwife a united and prosperous Nigeria.
