THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has endorsed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the 2023 presidential election.
The union has called on workers nationwide to vote for Obi, urging them to be vigilant during the election and to vote for pro-labour candidates they can trust.
In a statement signed by the President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, the TUC stressed the importance of the election, stating that it may determine the future of the country in socio-economic terms and the general well-being of the country.
It also directed its members to vote for the LP and all its candidates, emphasizing that the party belongs to them.
The TUC highlighted workers’ duty to not only cast their votes but also defend the electoral process’s sanctity.
It called on all Nigerians to ensure that special protection is given to electoral officials, particularly the over 200,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members engaged as ad-hoc staff, to ensure smooth elections.
The statement charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with ensuring free, fair, transparent, and credible elections where votes count.
It called on security agencies to provide security to all citizens before, during, and after the elections.
The union also welcomed the deployment of 33 international organizations and 2,113 observers, requesting that they observe the elections without any form of interference or statements that could inflame passions or lead to any form of disruption in the country.
It highlighted the importance of the working class in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the elections and safeguarding general peace in the country, including in the post-election period.
The union emphasized that where political elites, some of whom hold multiple nationalities, are rich enough to relocate abroad, the working people and the mass of the citizenry have no alternative but to stay in the country.
The TUC urged the government at all levels to secure lives and property, stating that it has a primary duty to protect all citizens before, during, and after the elections.
It stressed the crucial role of the NYSC members, who are part of the bulwark of Nigeria’s youths that can guarantee a future Nigeria, and urged all Nigerians to ensure their special protection.
TUC’s endorsement of Obi comes days after its parent body, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), urged workers across the nation to vote and the LP and its candidate in the elections.
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