Tinubu meets NLC leaders over planned nationwide protest

President Bola Tinubu held a late-night meeting on Tuesday with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in an effort to avert the nationwide protest planned for today.

The NLC delegation was led by its president, Joe Ajaero, to the meeting at the State House in Abuja.

Speaking to reporters after the discussions, Ajaero declined to give a clear answer on whether the protest would still go ahead.

“If I’m insisting (on proceeding with the strike), I’m not insisting. I will communicate to you. It is not an organisation that one person rules. Let’s go back now. You have a meeting of labour and the governor’s forum. We’ll go back to the drawing board and digest all that Mr President said to us, and move forward from there.”, he said.

He explained that the labour leadership would reconvene early on Wednesday to reach a decision. “We came for 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.”

The NLC is expected to make its position known later on Wednesday on whether the planned protest will proceed.

Also present at the meeting were the chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma; Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo; Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris; and the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.