The National President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has warned against moves by agents of the Federal Government and politicians to tamper with the Electoral Law or engage in activities capable of disrupting free and fair elections ahead of 2023.
Wabba canvassed for absolute respect for the Electoral law by all stakeholders, particularly the political parties and politicians, saying Nigerian workers will no longer fold their arms and watch the process of election being circumvented.
Comrade Wabba issued the warning at the 6th Quadrennial National Delegates’ Conference of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) held in Jos, Plateau State.
According to him, “it is time for Nigerian workers to rethink their engagement with the development and governance process in a democratic dispensation.” He added that, “it is equally important that workers whose lives are being shaped by politicians take a cursory look and interest in politics.”
Read Also: NLC to FG: Unending fuel scarcity may cause mass revolt
The labour leader, however, called on the Nigerian workers to go out and register and get their voters cards adding that with over 12 million workers in both formal and informal sector coupled with support from families and friends, the workers have the numerical strength elect leaders capable of salvaging Nigeria from the shackles of bad leadership.
His words:”We understand that the task of voting out the current politicians would not be an easy task but we must organise ourselves around electoral law and electoral support institutions. We demand absolute respect for our electoral law by all stakeholders, particularly political parties and politicians. Given the recent Electoral Act Amendment which accommodates electronic accreditation, the transmission of results and coalition if results, we expect minimal human interference in our electoral management. Workers should maintain oversight vigilance on the implementation and provide feedback for process audit.”
In his welcome address the National President, AUPCTRE, Comrade Benjamin Anthony, called for the establishment of an Electoral Crime Commission to prosecute those who committed electoral crimes like election rigging, electoral violence and subversion of the will of the electorates. Comrade Anthony who commended the National Assembly for passing the Amended Electoral Act 2022 and President Mohammadu Buhari for signing it into law enjoined Nigerians to ensure a free and fair elections and insisted that peoples votes count and electoral offender punished.