The attention of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has been drawn to a publication by an online medium, stating that Congress has vowed to shut down the country should INEC go ahead to postpone the forthcoming General Elections by six weeks.
We wish to state unequivocally that at no time did Congress issue any such statement, neither did its principals react in a telephone interview with any correspondent/media house, be it print or electronic.
Our position as a Labour Centre on the forthcoming elections is not ambiguous at all. Interestingly, none of our affiliates has also contradicted our position. The Congress stands for credible elections, hence last Friday 6th February, 2015, we (Congress) organised interactive sessions with the presidential candidates of some political parties at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
We took the risk of bringing them because we want to know what they have in stock for Nigerian workers, and of course, the Nigerian masses. We want to trust them enough to be able to entrust four years of our lives to them. The meeting was attended by the presidential candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC). At different sessions, the candidates, through their representatives, addressed the members of Congress (presidents of affiliates, General Secretaries and Chairmen of State Councils and their secretaries. We took the pains and spent resources to do that just to forestall further national crisis in our tension-soaked country.
We want to use this opportunity to reaffirm and charge INEC to do the right thing. Politicians should also play by the rule of the game because we cannot afford to have a repeat of what happened in 1993, where Nigerians in their hundreds died while running for safety. Every party must have equal opportunity. INEC should ensure that voter cards are given to people who are yet to get theirs, as there is no way it (INEC) can convince Nigerians, especially the opposition parties that it means well by postponing the election; even if its reason is genuine. The INEC must remember that it has repeatedly made public that it is ready for the election and we appeal to its leadership to put its acts right immediately and move on with the elections.
The TUC will do everything possible to safeguard our democracy, because we fought for it. We warn all those pushing for crisis in disguise to desist from that because, the labour movement and its civil society allies will not fold its hands and watch politicians derail the democracy that some of us fought for with our lives. Again, our position is that INEC should do all it can to ensure the country is not thrown into war.
Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama
President, TUC
Comrade Musa Lawal
Secretary General, TUC
