A front line labour leader, Comrade Issa Aremu, has disclosed that labour union in Nigeria would either vote in President Muhammadu Buhari or not based on critical assessment of the administration of the president during his first term in office. Aremu, who is the General Secretary of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers Union and Vice President of Industrial Global Union, while reacting to Buhari’s announcement to re-contest for a second term in office, said the constitution empowers an individual to seek for election and is eligible to re-contest.
“What is also clear is that Labour will also exercise its constitutional rights to vote based on critical assessment of all political office holders with respect to decent work, decent pay, employment, cost of living, security and building of a prosperous, fair, just and united Nigeria. “President Muhammadu Buhari certainly has the right under the 1999 Constitution to seek re-election for second term in office,” he said. According to Comrade Aremu, the same constitution allows all eligible citizens to exercise their rights to vote and be voted for.
“He said the controversy over why the president is contesting or not is therefore unnecessary. He has that right for re-election. ”The reported announcement by Buhari of his intention to seek re-election in 2019 is largely a constitutional matter. For us in the labour movement, 1999 Constitution of Nigeria allows for two term tenure for the President if elected. Same for governors and open ended for legislators,” he said.
