Lagos: A pro-President Bola Tinubu support group, Working People United (WoPU), has rejected a directive by some Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leaders asking affiliates to boycott its Lagos chapter inauguration. WoPU National Coordinator-General, Mr. Akporeha Williams, made the position known at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos. The conference followed the inauguration of the state chapter of the workers’ political support movement.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Williams described the directive as anti-democratic, saying it infringed on workers’ constitutional rights to freedom of association. “Working People United hereby condemns in strongest terms the directive issued by some persons of the Nigeria Labour Congress. WoPU views this directive as a fundamental violation of the constitutional rights of Nigerian workers to freedom of association. The rights as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every person the right to assemble freely and associate with other persons.”
Williams stated that WoPU was a duly registered support group, established to mobilise working people across various sectors in support of good governance. He emphasized the organisation’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 as a legitimate political choice protected by the constitution.
He alleged that some NLC officials were attempting to dictate the political choices of workers by directing them to support the Labour Party. Williams maintained that individual unions within the NLC retained rights and decision-making powers under their respective constitutions. According to him, the NLC should protect workers’ rights rather than interfere with their freedom to belong to political or other lawful associations.
Williams cited ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which, according to him, guaranteed freedom of association and protection of workers’ rights to organise. He said WoPU was not established to replace or undermine the NLC or any other labour organisation. Instead, the group sought to provide a platform through which working people could participate in politics and advocate their interests.
The coordinator urged the NLC to withdraw the directive and respect workers’ constitutional rights. He also called on the congress to uphold Nigeria’s obligations under international labour standards and apologise to WoPU and its members. Williams appealed to Nigerian workers to exercise their rights without fear of intimidation or harassment and urged security agencies to protect workers from alleged intimidation, particularly members of the WoPU Lagos chapter.
He expressed support for the WoPU Lagos Chairperson, Mrs. Funmi Sessi, urging that she should not be intimidated over her political affiliation. Williams called on the Department of State Services and other security agencies to protect workers from harassment, while urging relevant government authorities to monitor the situation. He said WoPU remained committed to unity, productivity and progress among Nigerian working people, and would continue to advocate responsible citizenship and good governance across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that thousands of workers from various registered trade unions assembled in Ikeja to grace the inauguration of the state chapter.