President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has expressed grave concern over the increasing threats to workers' rights and civil liberties in Nigeria, warning that the nation’s democratic space is rapidly narrowing.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State—an event formally inaugurated by Governor Umo Eno—Ajaero described the political atmosphere as increasingly hostile to labour movements, dissenting voices, and the rights of ordinary citizens.
He decried the apparent erosion of democratic institutions, noting that accountability has become elusive due to the weakening of the rule of law and the subordination of the legislature and judiciary to executive influence. “When the legislature becomes a mere extension of the executive, and the judiciary echoes the interests of those in power, democracy itself begins to unravel,” he warned.
Particularly alarming, he said, is the criminalisation of legitimate protest, referencing recent actions taken against retired police officers who demonstrated for their entitlements. “The right to dissent—a cornerstone of any true democracy—is being steadily outlawed,” Ajaero stated.
He called on labour unions and civil society to unite in resistance against creeping authoritarianism:
“If we do not act now, we risk forfeiting the freedoms that generations of workers fought and bled for. We must organise, mobilise, and build political strength—not merely to endorse candidates, but to actively shape policies in favour of the working class.”