There are indications that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) may shelve its nationwide protests earlier scheduled for Wednesday, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night.
Although the NLC was yet to take a firm position on the issue after the meeting, indications showed that the engagement with the President may have doused the tension created by the planned protest.
Recall that the labour union had, at its meeting in Lagos on December 4, threatened to embark on a nationwide protest over ongoing insecurity, especially the abduction of schoolchildren and the killing of innocent citizens.
At that meeting, the NLC insisted that the federal government had not done enough to secure Nigerians from bandits and kidnappers.
However, Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, speaking with State House journalists after the meeting, said the union would go back to the drawing board, digest all that the President had said, and move forward from there.
According to Ajaero, “We came for consultation with the President, and we are finished, so we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow (today). By tomorrow, we will get the outcome.”
Responding to a question on whether the NLC was still insisting on the protest, Ajaero said the union would also meet with members of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) before taking a final position.
“If I’m insisting, I’m not insisting. I will communicate to you. It is not an organisation that one person rules. Let’s go back now. We have meetings at different levels and with the governors’ forum. We’ll go back to the drawing board, digest all that Mr President said to us, and move forward from there.”
Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, while also speaking to journalists, promised that details of their resolutions will be made public today, after the meeting with the NLC.
“Consultation is going on. We were dialoguing like him (Ajaero) said. At the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know.
“Of course, we are here to serve the country, both the labor, the government and the governed. We are all working service to the nation.”
Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour said the President has taken far reaching measures to strengthen the economy, including security
“The citizens are also members of NLC. They wanted to see Mr. President, and they’ve seen Mr. President, and of course, you know, they are happy they’ve seen Mr. President, and they’ve heard firsthand that at least the President has driven the economy out of the woods so it’s a very good news.”
The NEC-in-Session had at their Lagos meeting on December 4, noted with very serious concern the degenerating security situation in the country, where kidnappers and bandits are on rampage killing, kidnapping and maiming innocent people in many places across the nation, with the recent incident being that of 24 girls who were abducted from their boarding school on the 17th November 2025 in Kebbi State.
The assailants, in the process of kidnapping the girls killing two members of staff of the school.
This was followed by another kidnapping of over 300 students and teachers of St. Mary Catholic school in Niger State.
The Federal government later secured the release of the abducted Kebbi secondary school children.
Read also: Tinubu confirm rescue of 38 kidnapped worshipers
The President also took far reaching measures to strengthen his security architecture by appointing Christopher Musa, the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as the new Minister of Defence, amongst others.
So far, about 51 of the St. Mary Catholic school students later escaped and 100 others released, while about 115 are still in the custody of the bandits.
The NEC-in-Session strongly condemned this dastardly and criminal action of the kidnappers and the withdrawal of the security attached to the school before the children were taken away. The surge in kidnappings targeting school children in Nigerian schools has reached an alarming level and requires immediate action by the Nigerian government.
The NEC-in-Session demanded an immediate and thorough investigation into, and prosecution of, all those involved in the withdrawal of security personnel from the affected school.
They also expressed strong concern that the government has not done enough to secure all the schools, especially those on the fringes of the towns and those in remote areas, to stop attacks on innocent pupils, students and their teachers.
“Consequently, the NEC-in-Session directs all NLC-affiliates and state councils to fully mobilise for a nationwide protest against insecurity scheduled for 17th December 2025.”
