Ajaero Dispels May 29 Threat Ascribed to Labour, Civil Society Coalition

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has dismissed as false and unfounded, the statement ascribed to the Labour and Civil Society Front (LCSF),threatening to disrupt activities in the country if justice was not delivered in the presidential election petition.

Instead, Ajaero said LCSF was a platform founded with the aim of making the leadership accountable and subject to the sovereign will of the people.

“This is to allow us use the civic space to interrogate governance in all its ramifications and make it work for the majority thus progress of the nation,” he said.

In a statement issued last night, Ajaero described the offensive publication as the handiwork of the fifth columnists seeking to discredit the group.

He said the publication titled: if electoral justice is not delivered by May 29, Nigeria would be shut down” was not only false but a mischief by its authors” to drag the NLC and the trade union movement into their warped contrivance for purposes best known to their minds.”

According to him, “Such statement was unknown to us and we can neither be associated to it nor partake of whatever its intentions are.

“It is therefore important that we alert the public that we have not concluded any plans anywhere to mobilise any of our affiliates and constituents, including the masses neither in Nigeria nor without for the purposes of embarking on any action after May 29 within the context outlined by the false statement. We dissociate ourselves from its intents and mission and are dauntless to say that such publication is not from the LCSF,” he said.

Ajaero said as a credible group, LCSF would continue to work in conjunction with other well-meaning organisations both within and without the Civil Society to use every lawful means to ensure that there is fairness and equity in the adjudicatory processes of the election tribunals. 

“The Conveners of the Labour and Civil Society Front remain Comrade Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Senator Shehu Sani and Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and any publication that does not have their imprimatur is false and can only be the handiwork of fifth columnists trying to use the organisation to mislead the public and create tension in the country.

“We, however, make bold to say that we shall continue to work in conjunction with other well-meaning organisations both within and without the Civil Society to use every lawful means to ensure that there is fairness and equity in the adjudicatory processes of the election tribunals.

“This is our common commitment and we do not want this avowal to be hijacked by purveyors of evil to foment trouble in the polity. Any group believing that it can use the name of the LCSF to spread falsehood should be prepared because we shall seek them out and expose them for what they are.

“They are clearly not part of us as we have not discussed such possibilities in our various meetings. Members of the Public should therefore discountenance such publication and ignore its portends.”