The crisis rocking the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has led to the emergence of parallel executives of the union in Abia State.

In the Quadrennial Delegates Conference held at the Kolping Society of Nigeria, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe beat four others in a keenly contested election to emerge the new chairman of Abia NLC.

As supporters of Obigwe were jubilating, news filtered in that Comrade Christòpher Ezekiel had been elected as parallel state chairman of NLC under the Comrade Joe Ajero faction of the N LC.

Those elected under the Obigwe-led executive aligned to the Comrade Ayuba Philibus Wabba national leadership of NLC include two vice chairpersons, Chief C.C.Ebeniro and Sunday Nwakodo who were returned unopposed; Nwaneri Chidiebere Ngam (Treasurer) and Innocent Chikodi Nwokocha and John Alioha who were elected Auditors.

The rest are Augustine Ekanem and John Onaga also returned unopposed as Ex-Officio members. Over 1,700 accredited delegates attended the conference.

In his acceptance speech, Obigwe, promised to give Labour in Abia a new face by making the welfare of workers the priority of his executive.

Those in Comrade Christopher Ezekie-led factional executive are Godwin Ugwu, (1st Vice

Chairman), Comrade E. I Nweke, (2nd Vice Chairman) and Comrade Nkechi Agwuncha, (Treasurer),

Others are Comrade Prince Onukwue and Comrade Odoh Joseph (Auditors) as well as Comrade Bestman Ezigbo and Comrade Onunka Nnamdi (Ex-officio members). They were all returned unopposed.

In his acceptance speech, the new State NLC Chairman, Comrade Eziekel said his victory was a manifestation of the confidence reposed in him by the workers.

“I hereby declare that I have accepted, the call to duty to defend and protect their rights, transparency will be the watch word of the new executive members of the State NLC,” Ezekiel said.

However, Comrade Obigwe has dismissed the purported election of a parallel executive, saying that NLC in Abia has no faction.

•Photo shows NLC

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