Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country to take action independently without waiting for the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) amidst the prevailing hardships in the nation.
Sowore made this call during an appearance on an Arise TV program on Sunday in response to comments made by Bola Tinubu. Tinubu had recently accused the labour union of harbouring political ambitions similar to his own.
During the launch of the Lagos red line on Thursday, Tinubu expressed his disapproval of NLC’s call for a strike within the first nine months of his administration, stating that organized labour does not solely represent the views of the Nigerian people. He suggested that if they aspire for the presidency, they should wait until 2027.
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In his reaction, Sowore criticized Tinubu for his diminishing regard for the NLC and urged CSOs to find alternative means of protesting the challenges facing Nigerians.
He said, “Tinubu is also saying something that I think should be important for everybody, and that is to develop new voices because he no longer respects the NLC.
“The civil society movement in the country should also stop waiting opportunistically for a labour strike before we strike on our own.
“Let’s flood the streets tomorrow, he will know that there are real voices.”
Sowore also described Tinubu’s 2027 comment as baloney, saying that when the ruling party wanted to take over power, they didn’t wait for election time.
“They practically hijacked ‘occupy Nigeria’ in 2012. That was where the APC started their political movement. Goodluck Jonathan had not enjoyed power for up to nine months when the occupation of Nigeria happened.
“Why would you say that the NLC should go and wait till 2027? NLC has already told you that they have hardship issues. The only thing that has not changed since Tinubu came into power is minimum wage,” he said.
