Labour Party Distances Itself from CUPP Lawsuit Against Service Chiefs

The Labour Party (LP) has distanced itself from a lawsuit filed in the name of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) challenging the continued stay in office of Nigeria’s Service Chiefs.

National Chairman of the Labour Party, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, said at a news conference in Abuja that the legal action was initiated by an individual without adequate consultation with other members of the coalition.

Abdulkadir said that although the Labour Party was a member of CUPP, it did not support the decision to sue the Federal Government over the tenure of the Service Chiefs.

“I want to state categorically, as a formidable stakeholder in CUPP, that I am against the action of suing the Federal Government on the issue of the continuous stay of the Service Chiefs,” he said.

He argued that decisions taken in the name of the coalition should involve consultation and approval from its participating political parties rather than being made by individuals.

Abdulkadir, however, clarified that the Labour Party was also opposed to the Federal Government’s continued retention of the Service Chiefs amid worsening insecurity in the North-East and other parts of the country.

He said the party’s disagreement with the government’s position did not mean it would support every legal action taken on the issue.

According to him, the lawsuit appeared more focused on generating political attention than achieving a meaningful judicial outcome.

The Labour Party chairman said the party would not support actions it believed could trivialise the judicial process or weaken public confidence in national institutions.

Abdulkadir also used the occasion to raise concerns about the internal operations of CUPP.

He recalled that the coalition was formed ahead of the 2019 general election after opposition political parties concluded that cooperation was necessary to challenge the ruling party at the federal level.

According to him, a steering committee comprising party leaders was established as the highest representative body responsible for directing the affairs of the coalition.

He alleged, however, that some individuals who were not members of the steering committee had increasingly taken decisions in the name of CUPP without consulting other stakeholders.

Abdulkadir said members had exercised restraint in order to avoid a public confrontation but warned that the coalition could not continue to operate without proper consultation among its constituent parties.

He consequently reaffirmed that the Labour Party remained an opposition party and a member of CUPP but would not be associated with the lawsuit challenging the continued tenure of the Service Chiefs.