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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
A fresh crisis is emerging within Nigeria’s organised labour movement as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Working People United (WoPU) under the leadership of immediate past President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG), Comrade Williams Akporeha, over the political allegiance of workers ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dispute follows WoPU’s open support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and the NLC leadership’s objection to the emergence of the group outside the Congress structure.
WoPU, in a press statement on Friday, accused the Comrade Joe Ajaero-led NLC of breaching the rights of workers to freedom of association, citing a query issued to the Chairperson of its Lagos State Council, Comrade Agnes Sessi, over her role in the inauguration of its Lagos chapter on August 12.
The event took place on Wednesday in Lagos. Incidentally, the Chairman of NLC, Lagos state council, Comrade Agnes Sessi is the Lagos State cordinator of the pro- Tinubu group.
Sessi was queried for allegedly disregarding its directive not to grace the inauguration of WoPU which had Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, among invited dignitaries in attendance.
The query, an August 11 internal memo signed by Comrade Benson Upah on behalf of the NLC, said WoPU was “not known to the Congress” and was neither an affiliate of the labour centre nor known to the Congress whose leadership Sessi represents in Lagos State.
It also faulted Sessi for failing to share with the leadership of Congress what the organisation was about, saying her action was “clearly in violation of the oath of office you took as chairperson of Lagos State Council.”
The congress asked her to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against her for “betraying your oath of office,” “acting in contravention of laid down rules and regulations of congress,” “promoting a parallel organisation to the congress” and “undermining the congress.”
She was given 24 hours to respond to the allegations.
Reacting to the query and the directive to affiliates to stay away from its inauguration, WoPU accused the NLC officials of attempting to dictate the political choices of workers, particularly over support for Tinubu’s re-election.
The group described the development as part of a wider struggle over the political freedom of Nigerian workers ahead of 2027, adding that elements within the NLC were attempting to compel workers to support the Labour Party and a particular candidate in the forthcoming election.
“They have now ignored their constitutional mandate of protecting workers welfare to dabble into politics for the single reason of being against the re-election of Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR in 2027,” WoPU said.
The group said its members had freely chosen to support Tinubu and other candidates it considers progressive, insisting that the movement cuts across workers in both the formal and informal sectors.
WoPU also rejected the NLC’s description of it as a parallel organisation, saying it does not seek to replace or undermine the Congress. It further accused elements within the NLC of attempting to compel workers to support the Labour Party and a particular candidate, arguing that individual workers should retain the freedom to choose their political affiliations.
It said, “Working People United (WoPU) is a convergent of like minds across all professions, artisans, market men and women, working people from formal sectors & informal sectors, private and public sectors, who have decided to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and other progressive minded candidates seeking leadership, against the forced coercion of the Ajaero Led NLC to support a candidate and a party he wishes for his own personal promised gains.
“It is unfortunate that some persons in NLC are now arrogating powers they do not possess by directing individual, unions, affiliates that their members should only join and support Labour Party.
“We recollect how this person has tried to coerce all workers to join LP and support a particular candidate in the last election and still doing same in 2027, against the freedom of association of individual.
” It should be noted that, the NLC is a group of individual unions with their rights and decision via their various organs as enshrined and govern by their individual constitution and not by any person in NLC.
“It is unfortunate, the assertion of not taking permission from some few leaders of NLC, for individuals to exercise their constitutional fundamental human rights to belong to any association of his/her choice is now a treasonable offence.
“To say the least, this is laughable and appalling that some few individuals are trying to drag our highly respected NLC to this very lowest ebb. “This constitutes a threat, deliberate and direct affront against the rights of working people to freely associate.”
The organisation cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as International Labour Organisation conventions on freedom of association, in defending its position.
It argued that the constitutional right to associate freely meant workers could belong to political and other associations of their choice without seeking approval from NLC officials.
WoPU called on the NLC to withdraw the directive, respect workers’ constitutional rights and issue an apology to the organisation and its members.
The group also declared that it would not apologise for backing Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“The NLC’s directive is an affront to the Nigerian Constitution and international labour standards. No organisation, no matter how powerful, has the right to tell Nigerian workers which associations they can join,” WoPU said.
