Ajaero said, “NLC, under our watch, will not keep quiet in the face of any electoral malpractice. We will not keep quiet in the face of people winning elections and they are not declared winners. We will not keep quiet while rigging becomes the order of the day.”
By Ishaya Ibrahim
For those who may be plotting to rig the forthcoming elections, they will have a formidable foe to contend with in the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
This is the unambiguous message of the newly elected NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, to those who may be planning to play the spoiler.
The new Labour boss said such people should perish the thought or face the wrath of Nigerian workers who will not tolerate any attempt by anyone or group of persons, no matter how highly placed, to rig the polls.
Ajaero made the vow while speaking with TheNiche, his first major interview since he was elected president of the umbrella labour union last week.
The former Secretary General of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) said he is hopeful the elections will be free and fair.
Ajaero, who said his optimism is buoyed by his belief that with a level-playing ground, “the election will come and go, there will be winners and losers and people will accept the result,” reiterated that if the election is free and fair, NLC will work with whoever wins in the interest of the Nigerian worker.
But he said the Congress will do everything to resist any attempt to manipulate the polls.
He said: “NLC with work with whoever emerges President in a free and fair poll in the interest of Nigerian workers. But if anything happens to the contrary, people may react and resist it.
“And the NLC, under our watch, will not keep quiet in the face of any electoral malpractice. We will not keep quiet in the face of people winning elections and they are not declared winners. We will not keep quiet while rigging becomes the order of the day.
“The NLC will show more than a passing interest. We want to know how the elections are conducted, how things are done and we want to ensure that things are done well. That is exactly what will happen.
“Anybody that emerges from any political party will work with us and anyone that does anything that is not in order will receive our stern rebuke. That is the way it is.
“NLC is more than interested in this election to make sure that the election is not rigged, that there is no mago-mago.”
Ajaero said the NLC decided to stay action on some burning national issues that affect the welfare of Nigerian workers in order not to fall into the trap of those who may be wishing to scuttle the polls.
“If not for the fact that Nigeria is going into elections now, the very day I was elected, we could have taken immediate action on the issue of fuel scarcity, the CBN redesign policy and cash swap which has led to the apex bank collecting our money and not giving it back to us,” he said.
“Some of these issues would have prompted immediate action from us. But you can see that if we take any action between this week and next, we may be playing into the script of some fifth columnists who will use that as an excuse to postpone the elections.”
But he assured Nigerians that the NLC under his watch will live up to the people’s expectations.
“I am assuring longsuffering Nigerian workers that I will be their voice. We will cry their cry. We will carry their burden. We will identify with them.
“If there is any way we have lost touch with the people, we are reconnecting with them. And we expect the same thing from the people. We expect that they will reciprocate.
“It is not always that we will be on the streets but if there is need for that, we will be on the streets and we are ready to pay the price, no matter how high, to make sure that Nigeria gets better. That’s my assurance.”
Joe Ajaero emerged NLC National President on February 8, at the 13th National Delegates’ Conference in Abuja.
He was elected by consensus, the first time an NLC helmsman will be so elected.
TheNiche had reported in January that Ajaero was the sole candidate for the position of NLC President.
