President Bola Tinubu late on Tuesday met with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in a last-minute effort to avert the union’s planned nationwide protest over worsening insecurity.
The meeting took place at the State House, Abuja, and commenced at about 11:27pm.
Joe Ajaero, NLC president, was present alongside Hope Uzodimma, Imo governor and chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum.
Nasir Idris, Kebbi governor, and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister of labour and employment, also attended the talks.
Discussions focused on addressing labour’s concerns and preventing the escalation of the planned protest.
Asked after the meeting whether the protest would still go ahead, Ajaero declined to give a definitive answer.
“If I’m insisting (on proceeding with the strike), I’m not insisting. I will communicate to you. It is not an organisation that one person rules,”Ajaero said.
“Let’s go back now. You have a meeting of labour and the governor’s forum. We’ll go back to the drawing board and digest all that Mr President said to us, and move forward from there.”
He said the NLC leadership would reconvene early on Wednesday to reach a decision.
“We came for consultation with the president, and we are finished. So, we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow. By tomorrow, we will get the outcome,” he added.
The NLC is expected to announce on Wednesday whether the planned protest will proceed or be suspended.