Labour Crisis: NLC President Joe Ajaero Released on Bail Amid Tensions Over Arrest and Nationwide Strike Threat

The Department of State Services (DSS) granted administrative bail to Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), shortly before the deadline set by the organized labour. Ajaero’s arrest on his way to the UK for an official engagement triggered widespread criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with accusations of growing authoritarianism.

Ajaero’s arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the subsequent raid on the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) offices in Abuja provoked condemnation from opposition parties, labour unions, and civil society groups. They described the actions as part of an oppressive crackdown on dissent and democratic freedoms.

The NLC held an emergency meeting following Ajaero’s detention, demanding his immediate release and threatening a nationwide strike. In a statement, the NLC condemned the arrest as an illegal act aimed at silencing labour leaders, warning of further action if Ajaero was not released by midnight.

Political parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP) were quick to criticize Tinubu’s government. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the government’s actions as dictatorial, urging the president to address underlying issues like hunger rather than targeting dissenters. NNPP’s Ladipo Johnson and SDP’s Shehu Gabam echoed similar concerns, with Gabam warning that such “Gestapo-like” tactics would only worsen Nigeria’s economic and political tensions.

Labour organizations also rallied behind Ajaero, with the Trade Union Congress and National Union of Electricity Employees condemning his arrest as an infringement on workers’ rights. Pro-democracy groups, including the United Action Front of Civil Society and Amnesty International Nigeria, also called for Ajaero’s immediate release, labeling the incident a violation of fundamental human rights.

Despite the growing backlash, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) defended the DSS’s actions, asserting that law and order must be maintained. The APC called for restraint, urging Nigerians to wait for details on the reasons behind Ajaero’s detention, emphasizing that no one is above the law.

Ajaero’s release came before the midnight ultimatum issued by the NLC, but the incident highlights rising tensions between labour unions and the government over economic policies and workers’ rights in Nigeria.