Tinubu Holds Consultation with Labour Leaders Amid Nationwide Protest Threats

Tinubu Holds Consultation with Labour Leaders Amid Nationwide Protest Threats

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with labour leaders at the Presidential Villa in a bid to persuade organised labour to shelve planned nationwide protests over the worsening security situation in Nigeria.

The meeting, held behind closed doors, involved the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other unions, amid heightened public attention on potential strike actions. NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero told journalists after the engagement that the discussion was a consultation rather than a final negotiation, noting that labour’s leadership would first brief its internal organs before issuing any public statement.

“We came for a consultation with the President, and we are finished. So we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow. By tomorrow, we will get the outcome,” Ajaero said, stressing that decisions within the congress are collective.

Also present at the meeting was Senator Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, who emphasised that sustained dialogue remains the preferred approach to resolving issues between labour and the government.

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“Consultation is going on. We were dialoguing, and like he (Ajaero) said, at the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know,” Uzodinma said. He added that all parties were acting in the national interest.

The Minister of State for Labour, Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, also praised the meeting, saying labour leaders welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the President and were reassured by the discussions. “They are happy they’ve had firsthand engagement and that at least the President has driven the economy out of the woods,” she noted.

Labour leaders are expected to reconvene internal meetings, after which a clearer position on next steps and the planned nationwide protests is likely to be announced.

This engagement highlights the federal government’s ongoing efforts to maintain industrial peace, address security concerns, and foster collaborative dialogue with organised labour in Nigeria.

Tinubu Holds Consultation with Labour Leaders Amid Nationwide Protest Threats