NLC election holds amid tension

The election of the national officers of the Nigeria Labour Congress was held on Friday

in Abuja amid tension as more than 300 policemen with sniffer dogs and operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil ‎Defence Corps provided security.

Some of the policemen formed a barricade against the returning officers during the counting of the votes for the position of President and deputy president began at the Eagles Square venue of the rescheduled ‎election.

The counting of the votes for the two positions was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.

One of our correspondents said tension-soaked atmosphere further worsened as one of the agents of a contestant suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.

The contestants for the three positions of vice-president provided by NLC were returned unopposed.

Voting started 5.23pm after 3,119 voters from the 43 affiliate unions of the NLC were accredited and ended at 3.15am on Friday.

The position of national president is being contested by Ayuba Wabba (Chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria) and Joe Ajaero (General Secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees).

Major contenders for deputy president include Issa Aremu (General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria and outgoing Vice-President of NLC), Najeem Yasin (National President, National Union of Road Transport Workers) and Igwe Achese (National President, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas).

The new vice presidents elect of the NLC are Asuguni Amechi of National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, Dutsimi Lawal of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and Oyelekan Lateef of the National Union of Food beverages and Tobacco Employers.

The elections were preceded by allegations of manipulation of the delegates list in support of a particular candidate.

Some workers led by a member of the Nigerian Civil Service Union, Mr. Osmond Ugwu, had alleged that workers from the South-South and South-East were disenfranchised‎.

Ugwu had said during the protest that the NCSU allotted only six votes to the three geo-political zones in the South out of 131 delegates of the union.