From Okwe Obi, Abuja
On International Workers’ Day, Thursday, May 1, the Labour Party (LP) of Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to championing the dignity, welfare, and rights of Nigerian workers, assuring them that their efforts will not be wasted.
The party described workers as the “true architects of Nigeria’s survival” who must not be taken for granted.
In an open letter signed by Marcel Ngogbehei, Director General of the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration, and endorsed by National Chairman Barrister Julius Abure, the LP extended solidarity to workers across sectors, including healthcare, education, public service, and informal trade.
“We recognise your daily sacrifices, often made in silence, under severe hardship, and far too often without the dignity and reward your labour deserves. From the nurse on a night shift to the teacher in an overcrowded classroom, your contributions are the foundation upon which this nation stands,” the letter stated.
The LP criticised decades of failed policies and systemic neglect that have left workers underpaid, unprotected, and overburdened. Comparing Nigeria to the United Kingdom, it noted benefits like stable incomes, functional healthcare, strong unions, and institutional respect that workers elsewhere enjoy, asserting that Nigerian workers “deserve no less”.
Rooted in the workers’ movement, the LP positioned itself as the only political platform with unwavering allegiance to Nigeria’s labour force. “We are not only a party of elections; we are a movement for justice, inclusion, and dignity for all who work and build,” Ngogbehei said.
The party urged workers to remain steadfast and ethical but stressed that integrity alone is insufficient. “We must channel our collective power toward a political future that puts workers first. Support a workers-aligned party, a party that has never abandoned the Nigerian worker,” the letter added.
The LP pledged to pursue better conditions for workers and called for unity and political consciousness.
“Let this Workers’ Day reignite our shared belief: that a better Nigeria is not only possible, it is inevitable, if we build it together,” Ngogbehei concluded.