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The TUC President, Festus Osifo, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday directed their members to commence a national strike from midnight.

The TUC President, Festus Osifo, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday.

Mr Osifo noted that the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

The unions had on Tuesday last week, said they will embark on a national strike from Tuesday, 14 November.

The leadership of the two unions reached the resolution after an extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

The action of the unions followed the brutalisation of the NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, last week in Imo State.

According to Channels TV, the labour unions in a joint statement on Monday said “In furtherance to the decision of the Joint National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC and TUC, all workers in Nigeria are hereby directed to withdraw their services effective 12:00 midnight today, 13th November 2023.

“Consequently, all affiliates and state councils of NLC/TUC are directed to issue circulars for maximum compliance and these circulars be made available to the National Secretariats or posted to the NEC and CWC Whatsapp Platforms.”

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, on Friday last week, restrained the labour unions from embarking on strike.

Benedict Kanyip, the judge, who is also the president of the court, ordered Nigeria’s two major labour unions, to stop their industrial action scheduled to commence 14 November.

The interim order followed an ex-parte request by the Nigerian government through the office Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, following the Labour unions’ threat to embark on strike.

The NLC had called on workers in Imo State to embark on a state-wide strike on 1 November.

While declaring the strike, Mr Ajaero said the industrial action was in protest against “the persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers in Imo State by the state government.”

“Despite our repeated efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and reach amicable agreements, the Imo State Government has become a habitual and serial breaker of these agreements, continuing to trample on the rights of workers in the state.

“As a result, we are left with no choice but to embark on mass protests and industrial actions beginning on the 1st day of November 2023,” Mr Ajaero said.

Earlier in the month, there was violence in the state as some thugs and police officers reportedly attacked Mr Ajaero and other members of the NLC who had assembled at the union’s council secretariat ahead of their planned protest in the state.

The national leadership of the NLC later said that Mr Ajaero was arrested by police operatives in the state.

The union also accused the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, of mobilising the thugs and the police officers to attack and arrest the NLC president to frustrate the planned protest in the state.

But the police later denied arresting Mr Ajaero, saying they only placed him in protective custody to shield him from attack by the thugs.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Bayelsa, Duoye Diri, as winner of the state governorship election.

According to INEC, Diri got 175,196 votes to seal his re-election as governor of Bayelsa state.

Diri had polled a total of 137,909 votes while Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 73,503 before INEC postponed collation of results on Sunday.

The results of two local governments — Brass and Southern Ijaw — were yet to be announced before the postponement.

At the collation center on Monday, Sylva won Brass with 18,431 while Diri got 12,602 votes.

Announcing the results for Southern Ijaw a while ago, the resident electoral officer disclosed that the PDP polled a total of 24,685 while the APC got 18,174 votes.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday, performed by Lesser Hajj (Umrah) in Makkah, during which he prayed for God’s divine guidance in leading Nigeria.

The president had embarked on the Islamic rite after the completion of his official duties in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, where he participated in the Saudi-African Summit.

President Tinubu’s mission to the holy land for the Umrah was disclosed Sunday evening by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, on his verified X handle.

According to him, during this spiritual journey, the President offered prayers for the prosperity of Nigeria and sought divine guidance for to lead the country.

“His Excellency President Bola Tinubu took time off at the end of his official engagements in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) earlier today in Makkah. He used the opportunity to pray for Nigeria’s greatness and divine guidance for him”, Abdulaziz said.

Hope Uzodimma, under the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent governor of the state, has been declared the winner of the Imo State governorship election.

Professor Abayomi Fashina, the Returning Officer for Imo State, declared Uzodimma as the victor, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Earlier, Nairametrics reported that Uzodimma cleared all 27 local government areas in Imo State, winning with a sweeping 540,308.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party had 64,081 while the PDP candidate, had 71,503, coming behind the winner.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the release of abducted Personnel in Bayelsa.

This was made known in a statement on Saturday by the commission’s Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity in Bayelsa, Mr Wilfred Ifogah.

He thanked those who showed concern and contributed towards the release of the INEC official, a Supervisory Presiding Officer, SPO, adding that the officer is doing fine.

Recall that the electoral body on Friday said one of its officials was abducted in the Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

In a statement, Wilfred Ifogah said the electoral official was kidnapped while waiting to board a boat at the jetty.

He had revealed that a boat carrying election personnel and materials to southern Ijaw LGA had capsized, and result sheets were lost during the incident.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has won the election in his polling unit.

Melaye garnered 210 votes to defeat his main challenger, Ahmed Ododo of the All Progressives Congress candidate (APC), who polled 22 votes.

Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came a distant third with 7 votes.

Earlier, Melaye had alleged that result sheets were pre-filled at all polling units in Ogori/Magongo local government areas of the state.

Some unknown gunmen have attacked the agents of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at All Saints Anglican Church, Egbu, Imo state carting away over N1.5 million.

Politics Nigeria gathered that the hoodlums had walked into the church premises housing four polling units in their numbers amidst shooting and demanded the money from the APC officials.

Policemen and journalists were seen running helter-skelter amidst heavy shooting.

A voter, Okey told journalists that the gunmen had walked into the premises like regular voters only to spring a surprise by pulling out their arms, while policemen took to their heels.

“We had just finished complaining about the APC agent’s low bargaining for votes when these boys walked in and demanded for the money that was about to be shared amidst heavy shooting, while everyone took to their heels,” Okey said.