Former lawmaker Shehu Sani has defended the Nigeria Labour Congress following allegations of partisanship towards the Labour Party by the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the eighth National Assembly, said that the NLC has always been accused of partisanship by different governments and parties, but that does not mean that the union is not fighting for the interests of the workers and the masses.
He cited examples of how the NLC was accused of supporting MKO Abiola by the military regime, supporting APC by the Peoples Democratic Party, and now supporting LP by the APC.
He said that the NLC is not a political party, but a trade union that has the right to protest and strike against any government policies that affect the welfare of its members and the general public.
He urged the government and the APC to respect the NLC and its leadership, and dialogue with them to resolve the issues that led to the ongoing nationwide strike. He also advised the LP to avoid being used by any political party or interest group to undermine the NLC and its struggle.
Sani aired his opinion in a statement he issued on Thursday via his X handle.
He wrote, “Since the founding of the NLC, all of its past Leaders have been accused of partisanship.The military accused them of supporting Abiola, PDP accused them of supporting APC and now APC accusing them of supporting LP. One day, LP will accuse them of supporting Sowore’s AAC.”
