Labour leaders have asked the Villa to stop meddling in the affairs of unions or face a backlash which would do no one any good.
The 11th national delegates conference of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was thrown into turmoil on February 12 over an alleged plot to manipulate election in favour of one of the two contestants for NLC president.
Trouble started when, as delegates were casting their votes, discrepancies were noticed in some ballot papers in which the name of the candidate appeared more than three times.
Some delegates alleged that the ballot papers were deliberately printed to aid rigging. The confusion led to the polls being put off.
Intervention of former NLC leaders
NLC President, Abdulwaheed Umar, and his top officials invited three of his predecessors, Hassan Sumonu, Ali Ciroma, and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo State Governor) to resolve the problem.
Their intervention reportedly led to “the revelation of the involvement of Aso Rock in the crisis,” a source disclosed.
He alleged that the government had wanted to use one of the contestants to cause a rift in the NLC in order to paralyse it amid the general election.
The source insisted that the calculation of the government was that if it could engineer a crisis, Labour would not be able to mobilise its members in the event of any dispute over the general elections shifted from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11.
He alleged that NLC leaders were invited by a security agency shortly before the congress to alert them.
He said the government’s point man lost out but refused to give in until his followers spotted the opportunity in the ballot paper manipulation and used it to disrupt the process.
The source, who was at some of the meetings of former NLC leaders, disclosed that measures are in place to forestall government meddling in the affairs of Labour.
“The government thought it had succeeded in disorganising the union but the NLC will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before.
“The government cannot weaken Labour. The focus now is to have a Labour that can combat the state in a bid to save democracy in the country. This is the summary of their resolution,” the source disclosed.
Signs of trouble
There were signs that the government, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would clash over who emerges as NLC president.
This showed on the day the botched delegates conference kicked off, as the audience cheered APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, when he walked in with Oshiomhole.
The reception given to the government delegation was not very friendly.
Group deplores activities in NLC
A group called the Coalition of Concerned Labour Democrats (CCLD) deplored the activities in the NLC, which it said culminated in the botched conference. It attributed this to the demise of ideological conviction in the Labour movement.
CCLD National Leader, Femi Ahmed, and Secretary, Che Oyinatumba, argued in a statement that “the abortion [of the delegates conference] is highly regrettable, uncharacteristic of a great movement like the NLC and inimical to the interest of of Nigerian workers.”
CCCD asked NLC affiliate unions “to close ranks, resolve this widening gulf and forge a united front to combat the state and manipulative fifth columnists that are hell bent on destroying the legendary solidarity among the unions.”
It advised delegates to the rescheduled conference on March 12 “to shun self interest and consider the overall interest of Nigerian workers.”
It decried the interest of state actors in the incident “that has become an embarrassment to all Nigerians” and was intended “to cripple the NLC from being a viable, moral conscience against the impoverishment of Nigerians, depiction of state resources and enslaving Nigeria into neo-colonialist enclave.”
CCCD warned the state, its agents and all politicians to desist from further interference in the internal affairs of the NLC, as further interference “will be met with strong and equal response by the generality of Nigerians who own the Labour movement.”
