The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has cancelled its two-day nationwide protest.
The NLC had called a two-day nationwide mass protest on February 27 and 28.
The protest was a response to the economic hardship millions of Nigerians have experienced since petrol subsidies were removed in May 2023.
The National Labour Council (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) issued a 14-day ultimatum regarding the country’s rising living costs to the federal government on February 8.
A late-night meeting between the federal government and the National Liberation Front on Monday failed to persuade the latter to call off the nationwide protests.
Protesters, on Tuesday, marched from Abuja’s Labour House and from to Lagos’ Ikeja subway, chanting solidarity songs and slogans.
The Abuja rally was led by Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, and Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
However, in a communique issued following Tuesday’s National Executive Council meeting, the NLC stated that the protest’s objectives were met on the first day of the demonstration.
The rally in Abuja was led by NLC President Joe Ajaero and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore for the 2023 election.
The communique reads:
“Consequently, NEC-in-session resolved as follows: to suspend street action for the second day of the Protest having achieved overwhelming success and thus attained the key objectives of the 2-day protest on the first day”.
“However, Nationwide action continues tomorrow with simultaneous Press Conferences across all the states of the federation by the state Councils of the Congress including the National Headquarters.”
The National Executive Committee of the NLC also decided to “reaffirm and extend the 7-day ultimatum by another 7 days which now expires on the 13th day of March 2024 within which the Government is expected to implement all the earlier agreement of the 2nd day of October 2023 and other demands presented in our letter during today’s nationwide protest”.
“To meet and decide on further lines of action if, on the expiration of the 14 days, the Government refuses to comply with the demands as contained in the ultimatum.”