Embrace political action for change, Labour Party tells workers

Isaac Samuel

The Labour Party (LP) has called on Nigerian workers to back a political platform that prioritizes their welfare and genuinely represents their interests.

The party which reaffirmed its historical ties to the labour movement said it will continue championing the dignity and rights of Nigerian workers.

The message was conveyed in a statement Thursday by Director General of the Directorate of Mobilization and Integration, Marcel Ngogbehei, and endorsed by LP National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.

“We must channel our collective power toward a political future that puts workers first. Support a workers-aligned party, a party that has never abandoned the Nigerian worker,” the party stated.

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Drawing comparisons with labour conditions in developed countries like the United Kingdom, the party said Nigerian workers deserve the same access to stable incomes, quality healthcare, strong unions, and institutional respect.

“We recognize your daily sacrifices, often made in silence, under severe hardship, and far too often without the dignity and reward your labour deserves.

“From the nurse on a night shift to the teacher in an overcrowded classroom, your contributions are the foundation upon which this nation stands”, the statement read.

The party further criticised decades of failed policies and systemic neglect that have left workers underpaid, underprotected, and overburdened.

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Ngogbehei said the Labour Party has positioned itself as the only political platform with an unbroken allegiance to the interests of Nigeria’s labour force.

“We are not only a party of elections, we are a movement for justice, inclusion, and dignity for all who work and build,” Ngogbehei stated.

The party also urged workers to remain steadfast in their duties and ethical in their conduct but stressed that integrity alone is not enough.

Promising to leave no stone unturned in pursuing a better deal for Nigerian workers, the Labour Party called for renewed unity and political consciousness among the workforce.

Ngogbehei added: “We must channel our collective power toward a political future that puts workers first. Support a workers-aligned party, a party that has never abandoned the Nigerian worker”

ALSO READ ADC woos Jonathan as Mark, Atiku insist on primaries Isaac Samuel The race to the 2027 presidency took a dramatic turn this week as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified efforts to lure former President Goodluck Jonathan into its fold. Jonathan, it was gathered is also taking decisive moves to reset opposition strategy and mount a formidable challenge against President Bola Tinubu. The former President held a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Thursday with ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark. Jonathan, who publicly met with politicians and party leaders for the first time since his rumoured bid to return to power, met the ADC stakeholders at the home of Mark. Seen in a viral video as he walked into the expansive residence of the former Senate President in Abuja, others with Mark were former Minister of Sports and ADC spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi as well as a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, among others. Sources claimed the former president has begun consultations ahead of the 2027 polls following increasing pressure to get in the ring and ‘save’ the nation. But it was learnt that the former President's bid to return to Aso Rock on the platform of the opposition coalition may have hit an early stumbling block. At Thursday’s meeting, Mark was said to have told the former president in clear terms that the only path to the party’s presidential ticket was through the front door by formally joining the party and submitting himself to a transparent primary election. Unable to secure any guarantees, Jonathan and Mark agreed to meet again soon to review the situation. It was learnt that the ADC is moving to draft Jonathan into the race beccause he is seen as a compromise candidate, but his strong base used to be the South-East which is now the political fortress of Obi. But Jonathan is not alone in seeking assurances. Both former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are also pressing the ADC leadership for firm commitments before they take the plunge. The party’s new leadership, however, has refused to make such promises, a development that explains why all three leading contenders are still holding back from declaring for the party. For them, early commitment without certainty could prove politically fatal. Aligning with the ADC and then losing its ticket could leave any of the trio stranded and without a viable political vehicle ahead of 2027. Obi has consistently insisted that power must remain in the South for equity, even pledging to serve a single term if elected. But his camp remains opposed to any vice-presidential offer, warning that such a move would be politically suicidal after his strong showing in 2023. For Atiku, who resigned from the PDP in July, the plan is to complete ongoing grassroots mobilisation before formally collecting his ADC membership card in Adamawa. While Atiku insists he is ready for an open primary, his increasing influence within ADC backed by significant political investments is fuelling fears that the presidential ticket may already be tilted in his favour. That dynamic, party figures say, could force Jonathan and Obi to reconsider their strategies. Meanwhile, the ADC leadership is trying to project unity. After a caucus meeting in Abuja attended by Mark, Atiku, former governors Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Tambuwal and Rotimi Amaechi, the party directed all undecided members to resign from their existing parties. Peter Obi, a member of the coalition party, had yet to disclaim his membership of Labour Party (LP). Atiku is also yet to get his ADC membership even though he has resigned from PDP. National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed the new directive while addressing journalists in Abuja, after a caucus meeting attended by top party leaders and political figures. Abdullahi said, “Though final order has been given to all members to resign membership of other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline.” The caucus also announced that all issues concerning African Democratic Association (ADA) had been concluded. According to Abdullahi, “The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA. That means they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association.” On the 2027 presidential race, Abdullahi said ADC’s presidential aspirants had agreed to back whoever emerged winner of the primaries. “All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primaries election,” he stated. The ADC spokesman further revealed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would soon announce dates for primaries in Osun and Ekiti states ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in both states. Those present at the meeting included National Chairman, David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; and former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.

“Let this Workers’ Day reignite our shared belief: that a better Nigeria is not only possible, it is inevitable, if we build it together”.