Abuja Summons: NLC Reaffirms Prof. Igbafen as authentic Edo Labour Boss amid factional firestorm
BENIN CITY / ABUJA — The national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has officially reinforced its recognition of Prof. Lewis Monday Igbafen as the sole legitimate authority steering the affairs of the Edo State NLC Council.
In a formal directive issued from the National Headquarters in Abuja on September 30, 2026, signed by Acting General Secretary Comrade Benson Upah, the labor congress summoned key leadership organs across all 36 states—including recognized state council heads—to a Joint Meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) and National Executive Council (NEC) scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Labour House in Abuja.
1. The Official National Notice: Reaffirming Prof. Igbafen’s Authority
The notice serves as a decisive confirmation of the national organ’s hierarchy. By maintaining direct official correspondence with the Caretaker Committee structure led by Prof. Lewis Monday Igbafen, the national secretariat under President Joe Ajaero has effectively re-sealed Igbafen’s status as the authentic head of the Edo NLC.
The national body reiterated that trade union constitutionality vests the power to constitute or dissolve state council management squarely within the purview of the national congress, rather than local political or state actor interference.
2. The Defiant Stand of Factional Chairman Comrade Bernard Egwakhide
Despite the clear posture from Abuja, Comrade Bernard Egwakhide, who leads a rival faction within the state council, continues to maintain an unyielding, confrontational stance:
- Rejection of Caretaker Mandate: Egwakhide has repeatedly dismissed the Prof. Igbafen-led caretaker committee as “null, void, and unconstitutional,” refusing to hand over administrative control or vacate the NLC Secretariat in Benin City.
- Claim to Executive Legitimacy: Egwakhide maintains that he remains the legitimate acting chairman of the Edo State Council, arguing that the local executive structure elected by affiliate unions cannot be unseated by executive fiat from Abuja.
- Allegations of External Politics: Egwakhide’s camp accuses the national headquarters of overreaching its constitutional powers and bypassing local state stakeholders, leading his faction to boycott caretaker-led programs and align with state-level administrative meetings.
3. Judicial and Operational Battleground
The leadership tussle between Prof. Igbafen’s national-backed caretaker panel and Egwakhide’s local faction has escalated across multiple fronts:
- The Legal Arena: The Prof. Igbafen-led Caretaker Committee filed suit at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to legally restrain Egwakhide’s group from masquerading as official representatives and to recover physical control of the NLC Labour House in Benin City.
- Trade Union Autonomy: Prof. Igbafen has maintained that his committee’s primary directive is to restore discipline, unite affiliate unions, and defend workers’ rights without succumbing to external political influence.
4. What Lies Ahead at the Abuja Summit
As state chairpersons and union executives gather at Olaitan Oyerinde Hall on October 7, the Edo State crisis is expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
With the national leadership firmly aligned behind Prof. Igbafen, the upcoming NEC/CWC session is poised to issue further binding resolutions aimed at enforcing total compliance across state chapters and insulating the trade union movement from internal fragmentation.
