NLC moves against pro-Tinubu group, queries Lagos chairman
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) national secretariat has moved against a pro-President Tinubu group, Working People United (WoPU), and queried its Lagos chairman for involvement. This sparked an internal debate over the NLC's authority to regulate members' political aff…
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
An internal conflict is escalating within the Nigeria Labour Congress as its national leadership attempts to restrict affiliate unions and officials from participating in the pro-Tinubu Working People United group. The query issued to Lagos NLC Chairman Agnes Sessi has sparked a wider discussion on workers' constitutional right to freedom of association versus the NLC's organizational…
Imagine your school principal tells everyone not to join a specific club because it supports a certain candidate for the student council president. But then, one of the teachers and some students join anyway, saying they have the right to pick their own clubs. Now, the principal is upset with the teacher, and everyone is arguing about who gets to decide what clubs people can join.
Analysis
A significant internal disagreement is unfolding within the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), a pivotal institution in Nigeria's socio-political landscape. The national secretariat's directive for affiliate unions and officials to distance themselves from the Working People United (WoPU), a group campaigning for President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027, has ignited a contentious debate.
Working People United
Working People United (WoPU) is identified as a support group actively campaigning for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 elections. The group is nationally led by Williams Akporeha, the immediate past President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). Akporeha has vehemently rejected the NLC national leadership's directive against WoPU, asserting that it constitutes an infringement on the constitutional rights of workers and citizens to freely associate.
WoPU argues that the NLC lacks the authority to prevent workers from joining political support organizations of their choice. The group views the NLC's directive as an affront to the sensibility of Nigerian workers and a direct violation of the country's constitution. Akporeha further accused NLC President Joe Ajaero of attempting to coerce affiliates and workers into supporting the Labour Party and its preferred candidates, echoing similar alleged attempts during the 2023 elections.
Agnes Sessi
The controversy intensified following the participation of Agnes Sessi, the Lagos State Council Chairman of the NLC, in WoPU's activities. Sessi also holds the position of Lagos State Coordinator for WoPU, placing her directly at odds with the national leadership's directive. Consequently, the NLC national secretariat issued a query to Sessi, dated August 11, 2026, accusing her of disregarding its instructions and failing to consult the leadership before associating with WoPU.
The memo from the NLC's Deputy General Secretary, Benson Upah, explicitly stated that Sessi's involvement appeared to violate her oath of office as Chairperson of the Lagos State Council. The NLC further accused her of betraying her oath, contravening established rules, promoting a parallel organization, and undermining the authority of the national body. This action against a prominent state official underscores the seriousness with which the NLC national leadership views the matter.
Section 40
The core of the legal and ethical debate revolves around Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Williams Akporeha, speaking for WoPU, cited this section, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association, as the basis for rejecting the NLC's directive. He argued that there is no provision in the NLC constitution that requires a political support group to obtain approval from the national leadership before operating.
This constitutional argument opens a wider discussion within labour circles regarding the extent to which the NLC's national leadership can regulate the political activities of its officials and members. The intensifying political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections make this debate particularly pertinent, as it challenges the balance between organizational unity and individual fundamental rights within a powerful union.
Key points
- The NLC national secretariat has issued a directive against affiliate unions and officials associating with Working People United (WoPU), a pro-Tinubu re-election group.
- Agnes Sessi, the NLC Lagos State Council Chairman and WoPU Coordinator, was queried by the national secretariat for her involvement.
- The NLC accused Sessi of violating her oath of office, contravening rules, and undermining the national body.
- WoPU, led by Williams Akporeha, argues the NLC's directive infringes on workers' constitutional right to freedom of association under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution.
- The dispute highlights a broader debate on the NLC's authority to regulate members' political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
This internal debate could lead to a clearer articulation of the NLC's policies regarding political affiliations, potentially strengthening democratic principles within the union and ensuring that members' constitutional rights to association are respected while maintaining organizational cohesion.
The escalating conflict could lead to significant internal divisions within the NLC, potentially weakening its collective bargaining power and overall influence in national affairs. It might also result in legal challenges that further destabilize the union's leadership and focus.
