Nigerian workers under the auspices of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have adopted the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election.
This was disclosed on Friday by Mr Amaechi Asugwuni, the Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), who also confirmed that Mr Peter Obi met with the members of the union to seek their support for his presidential ambition.
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“You would consider that the choice of Peter Obi to have actually joined Labour Party to pursue his career, it has been tested and confirmed that his personality meets our criteria, and by the special grace of God, he was unanimously adopted by National Executive Council meeting yesterday (Thursday), and arrangement has been concluded to mobilise in other to ensure victory”, said the NLC Deputy President.
On the Issue of Structure
Reacting to the question about the capacity of the Nigerian workers to deliver the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi, the labour leader said in clear terms that the NLC has more than what is required to deliver any candidate in a national election.
He said that Nigerian workers have structures not just in every state alone but also in every local governments in the entire 36 states of the country, and as such is able to deliver the candidacy of the Labour Party presidential candidate come 2023.
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Speaking further he said, “The structure to deliver a candidate can only be most established by Congress (NLC). Nigerian Labour Congress has a structure not in 36 states but in the entire local governments, and we are going to invoke our own standard in establishing structure.
“Congress (NLC) already has a structure and we are going to be lifting our structure in favour of his candidature. So, Labour Party is not building structure. “They are rather utilizing the existing structure of the organized labour in Nigeria in other to ensure that for the first time Nigerians should take back this country for better governance”, he said.
How Determined are the Workers?
On the issue of how far the Nigerian workers are willing to go in ensuring that Mr Peter Obi is not rigged out in the election, Mr Asugwuni disclosed that the NLC Executive Council have approved that full mobilization of workers shall be done to ensure full participation in the exercise.
This according him, will include the raising of “polling unit armies” who will supervise the pooling booths during the election and after the end of voting take necessary pictures as evidence of results cast in each polling unit.
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“Strategies are ongoing but Labour has approved that leadership should proceed to organize, mobilse and ensure victory to the extent that we are going to make ourselves available at the polling unit.
“They call them polling unit armies and they are going to supervise the machines as to ensure that due diligence is performed and concluded at the polling units. And results are sighted and results are taking, and other strategies put in place in other that none of this will be manipulated along the way”, Mr Asugwuni added.
On whether all workers are onboard
Speaking further, he also disclosed that NLC have advised its members to look beyond partisan issues such as political party membership, but should instead look at the personalities, such as Mr Peter Obi.
According to Mr Asugwuni, it does not matter what political parties that the workers currently belong to or if they do not belong to any party at all. What should matter are credentials of individuals and their antecedents in politics.
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He said that “People should not say I used to be PDP or APC or APGA, or any party whatsoever. Today, Labour Party is an alternative to Nigerians, and every labour leader and member should make himself available in ensuring victory because it has gone beyond party. Parties have not delivered. Persons like those that have the pedigree and the antecedents should speak, louder than parties”, the labour leader conclude.
CATCH UP
Clariform reminds our readers that two labour unions, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Thursday announced a plan to embark on one-day nationwide protest to call the attention of the President Buhari to Sufferings and hardship Nigerians are currently facing in multiple areas and sectors.
