The Nigeria Labour Congress (LC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria on Tuesday pledged to support, campaign and do everything within their powers to ensure that the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, wins the 2023 presidential election.
The NLC and TUC Presidents, Ayuba Wabba and Quadri Olaleye, made the pledge at the Pascal Bafyau Labour House and TUC Secretariat, Abuja, respectively.
Speaking to labour leaders and members who gathered for the 10th anniversary lecture in honour of Late Pascal Bafyau on Tuesday, Wabba stated that Obi is “among the finest Nigerians and the first presidential candidate of the Labour Party to be recognized by the labour centre.”
He went on to say that NLC is solidly behind the LP and would fully mobilize to ensure the victory of the party come 2023.
He also recalled that the workers’ unions have realized that strikes and protests alone cannot change the narratives in Nigeria, especially in regard to workers’ welfare and fair treatment of the working people, “hence labour must venture fully into politics and work hard to support candidates whose mantra will make life better for our members and Nigerians at large.”
On his part, Olaleye said Obi is a face among the presidential candidates all labour unions are ready to work with, and that the entire labour movement has accepted, adopted and would support, and ensure workers massively vote for him in the 2023 presidential elections.
He further said that the Labour Party is stronger and more formidable, adding that the party has a widespread structure, as there is a worker and member of either TUC and NLC in every family across Nigeria.
Obi said his visit to the leadership of the two labour centres was not to campaign but for a courtesy call to honour the organized labour on whose party and interest he is seeking Nigerians’ vote in the 2023 general elections.
Furthermore, he said, “My commitment is to move Nigeria from consumption to production and you can’t talk about production without labour.
Labour is the engine of production, capital and machines can do anything but labour is what makes it work.
Because labour is the greatest contributor to production, it has to be properly remunerated.”