By our correspondent
A civil society group, Gatekeepers of Democracy (GOD), has faulted the recent article by journalist Wale Ojo-Lanre, accusing him of attempting to discredit the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over its position on the ongoing political crisis involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the leadership of the Senate.
In a statement signed by its National Convener, Umar Kaltungo, the group described Ojo-Lanre’s article, published in an online platform, as “an attempt to divert public attention from the real issues of democratic governance.”
The group argued that the NLC has every right to speak out on political developments, especially when they affect the working class and broader national interests.
“The struggle for democracy is a workers’ struggle. You cannot reclaim economic rights without first reclaiming political rights,” Kaltungo stated. He added that silencing voices like the NLC would only embolden what he described as “anti-democratic tendencies” in the country’s governance structures.
Kaltungo further argued that the exclusion of a duly elected senator amounts to an attack on democracy and, by extension, the economic rights of workers. “A legislature that can arbitrarily suspend opposition voices is a legislature that will never pass a pro-worker minimum wage bill. A system that invalidates the votes of the people in Kogi Central is a system that will never be accountable for unpaid salaries and pension arrears,” he said.
The group commended the NLC for its bold interventions in recent months, citing its stance on issues ranging from pension reforms to corporate accountability. According to Kaltungo, organised labour’s voice “rings louder and clearer than ever before” and should not be silenced by criticisms that seek to limit its scope of advocacy to only industrial or wage-related matters.
He urged the NLC to remain focused on its dual mandate of fighting for workers’ welfare and defending democratic values, warning against distractions from what he described as “sponsored commentaries.”
“The Nigerian masses know their friends and their enemies. They know the comrades who stand on the picket lines with them, and they know those who attempt to justify the suffering of the people. We urge the NLC to keep speaking up, to fight for a living wage in the factories and for a living democracy in the National Assembly,” Kaltungo said.
The controversy follows a recent standoff between the NLC and the Senate leadership over what the labour movement described as an “unconstitutional and politically motivated” move to undermine the mandate of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central. The matter has heightened tensions in the political and labour space, with civil society groups like GOD pledging to continue defending democratic institutions.
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