The leadership crisis rocking Nigeria's Labour Party (LP) has intensified as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the Julius Abure-led faction traded accusations over who is responsible for the party's internal turmoil.

Speaking at a stakeholders' meeting of the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee on Wednesday, Ajaero pointed fingers at the ruling party and federal government, accusing them of orchestrating a deliberate destabilization plot against the Labour Party.

"It is the potential that we have that is attracting all these attacks. All the agencies of government are involved in the destabilisation plot," Ajaero stated. "I call on the government to stop destabilising workers party. All over the world, Labour Party is organised and run by trade unions. Over 57 countries have functional Labour Parties; why will Nigeria be different?"

The NLC President further emphasized that the Labour Party represents the only political platform where "a son of a poor man can become somebody" and hinted at imminent action following recent Supreme Court judgments. "In the next few days there will be an action to take what belongs to us," he declared.

However, the Abure-led faction swiftly countered these claims, directing blame back at Ajaero and the NLC leadership. In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, the faction described the stakeholders' meeting as "illegal and purported" while rejecting Ajaero's narrative.

"We must state clearly and categorically that if there is any person or organisation that has destabilised the Labour Party or who is working to destabilise the party, it is no other person than Joe Ajaero and the NLC," the statement read.

The Abure faction insisted that the party had no significant internal issues following the 2023 general elections until Ajaero "illegally, unprofessionally and unconstitutionally set up a so-called Transition Committee" that began undermining the party's structure and image.

"It was the same committee set up by Ajaero that was going to INEC every day, constituting a nuisance, all in an attempt to destabilise the party," Ifoh stated, adding that the NLC President had mobilized retired officials against the party's interests.

The statement further noted that both ordinary Nigerians and regulatory bodies have advised Ajaero to focus on his primary responsibility of advocating for workers' welfare rather than interfering in political matters.

"The regulatory body in charge of the Labour Union in the Ministry of Labour has also publicly admonished Ajaero to excuse himself from matters concerning politics and to face his legitimate assignment to defend workers interests," the statement concluded.

This latest exchange highlights the deepening fractures within the Labour Party, which has struggled to maintain unity since its impressive showing in the 2023 general elections. The ongoing leadership tussle between the Abure faction and the NLC-backed caretaker committee continues to threaten the party's stability and electoral prospects.