One of the Presidential Candidates of the botched Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, election, Dr. Ayuba Wabba, has blamed the disruption and violence that marred the election on the Credentials Committee chaired by the President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Issa Feggae.

 

Addressing journalists on Friday at the national secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Abuja, Dr. Wabba who is also the President of Medical and Health Workers Union, accused two members of the Credentials Committee from Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, of being behind the fraud that characterized some of the ballot papers.

 

Although, he said that Chairman of the Committee, Feggae, was a credible person that he respects, some members of the committee he claimed tried to disrupt the process of the election by manipulating the process.

 

Wabba who denied that he was sponsored by government and powerful members of a particular political party that came with the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Gen. Muhhamadu Bahari at the opening session of the conference, also alleged that one of the candidates was sharing money to the delegates at the venue of the conference.

. NLC to convene NEC meeting Feb 18

 

Following the disruption of its national elections on Thursday, the National Administrative Council (NAC) of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has resolved to convene a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) on February 18 to decide on a new date for the election.

 

In a statement in Abuja on Friday, the NLC General Secretary, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, said NAC met a few hours after the disruption of the 11th National Delegates Conference voting process by some members.

 

“As painful as this unfortunate disruption is, we are determined to work with all those concerned and the organs and friends of the congress to find a way to resolve the impasse. This is without the current leadership exceeding the constitutionally mandated time limit of four years,” Ozo-Eson said.

 

The statement explained that on the morning of Thursday, at 8:45 a.m., a printing error was spotted in a few ballot papers by way of duplication of names.

 

It said that the error affected four candidates out of whom two were from the opposing camps.

 

“As regrettable as this error by the credential committee was, its degree was insignificant and could have been resolved amicably by way of vote invalidation. This was not to be so, as some delegates who held the view that the entire process might have been corrupted reacted sharply which led to the suspension of the voting process.”

 

According to the statement, 3, 119 delegates from 43 affiliate unions attended the congress which is the biggest in the history of the gathering.

 

It said the conference also received solidarity messages from the representative of Federal Government, politicians and fraternal organisations. It said members of the diplomatic corps and other international guests also gave their goodwill messages.

 

The statement commended the delegates for attending the congress and appealed to members to be calm, pending the announcement of a new date for the election.

 

. Tribune