Internal Conflict Erupts in Nigeria Labour Congress
A fresh internal disagreement is brewing within the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) following a directive from its national secretariat, urging affiliate unions and their officials to avoid involvement with Working People United (WoPU), a political support group advocating for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027. This directive has sparked tension among sections of the organized labour movement, particularly after Lagos State Council Chairman of the NLC, Agnes Sessi, participated in WoPU activities despite the stance of the national leadership.
Sessi, who also serves as the Lagos State Coordinator of WoPU, is led nationally by Williams Akporeha, the immediate past President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers. The NLC national secretariat has reportedly questioned Sessi regarding her association with WoPU. In a memo dated August 11, 2026, signed by the NLC Deputy General Secretary and Head of Information Department and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, the national secretariat accused Sessi of disregarding its directive and failing to consult the congress leadership before associating with WoPU.
The memo stated that Sessi’s involvement in WoPU’s activities raised concerns about her responsibilities as an elected officer of the Lagos State Council. It further alleged that her actions violated the oath of office she took as Chairperson of the Lagos State Council and undermined the authority of the national body. The memo accused her of “betraying the oath of office, acting in contravention of the established rules, regulations and directives of the Congress, promoting or supporting a parallel organisation to the Congress.”
This conflict has ignited a broader debate within the labour circles about the extent to which the NLC’s national leadership can regulate the political activities of its officials and members, especially as political alignments intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Williams Akporeha, the national leader of WoPU, rejected the NLC leadership’s position, describing the directive against WoPU as an infringement on the constitutional right of workers and other citizens to freely associate. In a statement issued on Friday, he argued that the NLC had no authority to prevent workers from joining a political support organization of their choice.
Akporeha claimed that the directive violated Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association. He criticized the NLC for ignoring its constitutional mandate of protecting workers’ welfare and instead engaging in politics to oppose the re-election of President Tinubu in 2027. According to him, WoPU views the directive as an affront to the sensibility of Nigerian workers and citizens.
Akporeha further argued that there was no provision in the NLC constitution requiring a political support group to obtain approval from the national leadership before operating. He accused NLC President Joe Ajaero of attempting to compel affiliates and workers to support the Labour Party and its preferred candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. The group also accused some NLC officials of trying to dictate the political choices of individual workers.
“It is unfortunate that some persons in NLC are now arrogating powers they do not possess by directing individual unions, affiliates that their members should only join and support Labour Party,” the statement said. Akporeha recalled the NLC’s involvement in the 2023 elections, alleging that the labour leadership had similarly attempted to persuade workers to support the Labour Party and its candidate.
He maintained that the NLC is composed of individual unions with their own constitutional structures and decision-making organs. “It should be noted that, the NLC is a group of individual unions with their rights and decisions via their various organs as enshrined and governed by their individual constitutions and not by any person in NLC,” he said.
The dispute comes amid growing political activity among labour groups as preparations for the 2027 elections gain momentum. While the NLC has historically played a major role in workers’ welfare, industrial relations, and national policy debates, its political posture has attracted increased attention since the emergence of the Labour Party as a major political force during the 2023 elections.
The latest disagreement involving Sessi and WoPU raises fresh questions about the boundaries between the institutional responsibilities of the NLC and the individual political choices of its officials and members. At the center of the dispute is whether the national leadership can restrict the political associations of elected labour officials, and whether such restrictions are consistent with the constitutional freedom of association invoked by WoPU.
The immediate outcome of the NLC query to Sessi is expected to determine whether the dispute remains an internal disciplinary matter or develops into a wider confrontation between the national secretariat and labour officials sympathetic to different political camps ahead of 2027.
