Former Ebonyi Commissioner for Information, Dr Abia Onyike, has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to lead efforts to rescue Nigeria from its governance and economic challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Onyike made the call while presenting a paper titled, “The Nigerian Working Class Movement and the 2027 General Elections: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities,” at the 2026 NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
The speech was made available to 108scoop.com on Sunday in Umuahia, Abia State.
The former commissioner, who also served as Deputy National Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Chairman of the NUJ Ebonyi State Council, described the labour movement as Nigeria’s most enduring patriotic organisation.
He said the movement played key roles in the anti-colonial struggle, the fight for independence, the defence of workers’ rights and the restoration of democracy.
“The movement is more significant, more important and more strategic than all the bourgeois political parties in Nigeria, past and present,” Onyike said.
Onyike said Nigeria now faces economic decline, mass unemployment, multidimensional poverty, poor infrastructure, insecurity and weak democratic institutions.
“The scenario requires a national emergency in order to rescue Nigeria from going into oblivion,” he said.
He blamed years of poor leadership, corruption and neo-liberal economic policies for worsening hardship, saying they had impoverished workers and weakened the middle class.
He urged organised labour to continue pushing for better workers’ welfare while leading wider national reforms.
Suggests three options before 2027 polls
Onyike reviewed labour’s political history and praised leaders such as Michael Imoudu, Wahab Goodluck and Samuel Udo Bassey for shaping Nigeria’s political development.
He also recalled labour’s alliance with civil society groups, university lecturers and student organisations during the struggle against military rule.
He said the partnership showed labour’s ability to unite Nigerians behind national causes.
“The Labour movement must demonstrate greater patriotism through the deployment of all lawful means to rescue Nigeria from its gradual descent into anarchy and perdition,” he said.
Onyike proposed three options for organised labour before the 2027 elections.
He urged the NLC to either align with a reform-minded political party, work with civil society groups to promote free, fair and credible elections, or support any political platform with a clear pro-workers agenda.
“The decision on which option to take should be collectively arrived at after thorough consultations,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the labour movement has the credibility, history and organisational strength to contribute to Nigeria’s democratic renewal and national development.
External Links
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN): https://nannews.ng
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC): https://nlcng.org
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC): https://inecnigeria.org
