NLC moves against pro-Tinubu group, queries Lagos chairman

A growing rift has emerged within the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over a directive prohibiting affiliate unions and their officials from engaging with the Working People United (WoPU), a group advocating for President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027. The Lagos State Council Chairman of the NLC, Agnes Sessi, who also heads WoPU, has been queried for her association with the organization despite the national leadership's directive.

The NLC has accused Sessi of disregarding the directive, violating her oath of office, and betraying the trust of the Congress. The controversy has sparked a debate on the extent to which the NLC's leadership can control the political activities of its officials. The Lagos State Coordinator of WoPU, Williams Akporeha, has rejected the NLC's stance, arguing that the directive infringes on the right to freedom of association guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.

Akporeha contends that workers have the right to freely associate with any political support organization of their choice, and that the directive is a fundamental violation of their constitutional rights.