A rights group, Rising Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) has warned the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its members to shelve their purported plan to disrupt the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal scheduled to pass judgment on September 6, 2023 under the guise of a warning strike.
Recall that the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), as well as their presidential candidates, had petitioned the tribunal seeking to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.
RUN in a statement signed by its Convener, Amb. Solomon Adodo, urged the organized labour to as a matter of patriotism shelve the plan as it will amount to an affront on the corporate existence of the nation and urged the Department of State Service, the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to be be on guard to ensure that the PEPT sits in an atmosphere devoid of rancour and to ensure all national and personal assets are secured.
“Information at our disposal suggests that the NLC and its affiliate bodies have hatched plans to disrupt PEPT sittings. We commend the Department of State Service for their earlier warning about planned protest and urge them to be prompt in neutralizing all threats to national security.
“Election petitions and their outcomes are part of the country’s democratic process which is anchored on the rule of law and the majesty of our judicial system as the peaceful and final arbiter of social disputes.
“Those who may be disappointed by the judgement have the further opportunity to exercise their right of appeal at the Supreme Court where they will be bound by the final decision and outcome. We are however surprised that the NLC is already feeling jittery about their perceived outcome of the Ruling and they are doing all they can to thwart the sitting. We must not forget that the NLC has become deeply compromised, political and doing the bidding of Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party. It is unfortunate that they are determined to foist anarchy on the nation with planned riots,” he said.
The group therefore urged all Security Agencies to be at high alert around the premises of the Appeal Court, Abuja particularly and also in the major cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and the Southeastern States. It will be recalled that the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria prevented the election tribunal from sitting in Edo as a result of the NLC strike.
“As citizens, we are all bound by the rule of law, which gives no room or opportunity for violence and threat to public safety, peace and security in our democratic contestations for political power and the right to govern the people”, the statement added.
