A new internal conflict is emerging within the Nigeria Labor Congress, NLC, following a warning from its national secretariat to affiliate unions and their leaders to avoid the Working People United, a support group advocating for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The instruction has reportedly caused tension among elements of the organized labor movement, notably after the NLC’s Lagos State Council Chairman, Agnes Sessi, participated in WoPU events on Wednesday, despite the national leadership’s position.
Sessi is also the Lagos State Coordinator for WoPU, which is led at the national level by Williams Akporeha, the immediate past president of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.
It was gathered that the NLC national secretariat has queried Sessi over her association with the organization.
In a memo dated August 11, 2026, signed by Benson Upah, NLC Deputy General Secretary and Head of Information Department and Public Affairs, the national secretariat accused the Lagos council chairperson of disregarding its directive and failing to consult with congress leadership before associating with WoPU.
According to the memo, Sessi’s involvement in WoPU activities called into doubt her duty as an elected member of the Lagos State Council.
“Your involvement in the activities of the organization appears to be in violation of the oath of office you took as Chairperson of the Lagos State Council and raises serious concerns regarding your obligations to the Congress,” the memo stated.
The NLC also accused her of “betraying the oath of office, acting in contravention of the established rules, regulations, and directives of the Congress, promoting or supporting a parallel organization to the Congress, and undermining the authority of the national body.”
The action has sparked a broader debate in labor circles about the extent to which the NLC’s national leadership can oversee the political actions of its officials and members, especially as political alliances strengthen ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, Akporeha disputed the NLC leadership’s viewpoint, citing the direction against WoPU as an infringement on workers’ and other citizens’ fundamental rights to freely associate.
In a statement made on Friday in response to the situation, Akporeha said that the NLC had no jurisdiction to ban workers from joining a political support organization of their choice.
He stated that the directive amounted to a violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
“They have now ignored their constitutional mandate of protecting workers’ welfare to dabble into politics for the single reason of being against the re-election of Mr. President in 2027.
“Working People United sees this directive as an affront to the sensibility of Nigerian workers, Nigerian working people, Nigerian citizens, and our constitution and rights,” he said.
WoPU argues that the instruction is “a fundamental violation of the constitutional rights of Nigerian workers to freedom of association as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”
Akporeha further claimed that there was no clause in the NLC constitution requiring a political support group to get approval from the national leadership before operating.
He accused NLC President Joe Ajaero of seeking to compel affiliates and workers to support the Labor Party and its selected candidates in the upcoming 2027 elections.
The group also accused some NLC officials of attempting to control individual workers’ political choices.
“It is unfortunate that some persons in NLC are now arrogating powers they do not possess by directing individuals and unions and affiliates that their members should only join and support the Labour Party,” the statement said.
Akporeha recalled the NLC’s involvement in the 2023 elections, stating that the labor leadership had similarly attempted to influence workers to support the Labor Party and its candidate.
“We recollect how this person has tried to coerce all workers to join LP and support a particular candidate in the last election and is still doing the same in 2027, against the freedom of association of individuals.”
He asserted that the NLC was comprised of individual unions, each with its own constitutional framework and decision-making apparatus.
“It should be noted that the NLC is a group of individual unions with their rights and decisions via their various organs as enshrined and governed by their individual constitutions and not by any person in the NLC,” he stated.
The WoPU organizer called the attempt to prevent workers from engaging with parties that oppose the NLC’s preferred political path as reprehensible.
“It is unfortunate that, with the assertion of not taking permission from some few leaders of NLC, for individuals to exercise their constitutional fundamental human rights to belong to any association of their choice is now a treasonable offense.”
“To say the least, this is laughable and appalling that some few individuals are trying to drag our highly respected NLC to this very lowest ebb.
“This constitutes a threat, a deliberate and direct affront against the rights of working people to freely associate,” he noted.
The conflict occurs against the backdrop of increased political activity among labor groups as preparations for the 2027 elections gain traction.
While the NLC has traditionally played an important role in worker welfare, industrial relations, and national policy debates, its political stance has received considerable attention since the Labor Party emerged as a prominent political force in the 2023 elections.
The ongoing disagreement between Sessi and the WoPU raises new questions concerning the NLC’s institutional responsibilities and the individual political decisions of its officials and members.
The primary issue in the debate is whether the national leadership can restrict the political connections of elected labor officials and if such restrictions are consistent with the constitutional right of association advocated by the WoPU.
The immediate outcome of the NLC’s query to Sessi is expected to determine whether the controversy remains an internal disciplinary matter or escalates into a larger clash between the national secretariat and labor officials sympathetic to opposing political factions before 2027.
