President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has raised the alarm over what he described as the relentless assault on Nigeria’s democratic space and the escalating violation of workers’ rights, warning that unless urgent action is taken, the country risks descending further into authoritarianism.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the 21st Rain School of the NLC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Ajaero said the theme of this year’s School, “Labour and Human Rights in a Shrinking Democratic Space,” was more than a talking point, it is a battle cry.
“The civic space, the arena where we voice our concerns, challenge injustice, and demand accountability, is being systematically compressed,” Ajaero declared, warning that Nigerian workers and citizens are increasingly under siege from a government more interested in power games ahead of 2027 than governance.
He decried Nigeria’s global reputation as one of the worst violators of workers’ rights, noting “there is always an inverse relationship between the abuse of human and workers’ rights and the nature of a nation’s democratic space.
“If we allow these encroachments to go unchallenged, we risk normalising a reality where the government picks and chooses who enjoys constitutional rights,” he warned.
Ajaero took a swipe at political leaders, particularly governors, accusing them of testing how far they can go in suppressing collective action. He cited the Edo State Governor, Senator Okpebholo, who allegedly attempted to clone a parallel NLC in the state after invading the NLC Secretariat.
“If a governor can threaten citizens without consequences, it is a clear sign of how far we have fallen,” Ajaero said.
The NLC President lamented that governance has been abandoned for “2027 politicking,” leaving ordinary Nigerians to suffer the consequences of insecurity, economic hardship, and poor policies.
“We are all on our own. Leaders who should be working to alleviate suffering are instead consumed by power games,” he said.
He also emphasised the critical fight for a decent national minimum wage, stressing that despite some progress in the public sector, “millions of workers in the private sector and parastatals are still enslaved by starvation wages.” Ajaero demanded full compliance with the Minimum Wage Act across all sectors.
Ajaero urged workers and their organisations not to relent, warning that the right to protest, dissent and organise is being criminalised, as demonstrated by the government’s hostility towards Retired Police Officers seeking pension reforms.
“If we do not act now, if we do not occupy, defend, and expand the democratic space, we risk losing the very freedoms that generations of workers fought and bled for,” Ajaero charged.
He further warned: “If we continue slumbering, we may wake up to find out that this prevailing greed has turned our nation into a Somalia.”
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