As the nation gears up for the 2027 general elections, Kogi State is witnessing heightened political activities, with organised labour taking a leading role in mobilising workers for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo. The sensitisation campaign, spearheaded by the Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Labour Matters, Comrade Onuh Edoka, has traversed several local government areas across the three senatorial districts.
The campaign, themed “Workplace Security: Protection, Sensitisation and Preparedness Against Banditry and Kidnapping,” seeks to draw workers’ attention to the security of their workplaces and the need to protect their jobs and welfare by supporting policies that promote workers’ interests. Edoka said workplace security had become increasingly important due to security challenges confronting society, particularly banditry and kidnapping.
Edoka maintained that security is a collective responsibility requiring the cooperation of government, workers, and other stakeholders. He urged workers to make informed political choices, arguing that continuity in government is necessary where existing policies and programmes are yielding positive results. The campaign has presented the welfare initiatives of the Ododo administration as evidence of its commitment to workers.
The Kogi State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Gabriel Amari, said organised labour’s participation in the campaign was informed by the verifiable achievements of the Ododo administration. Amari noted that the governor had taken steps to improve workers’ welfare without necessarily waiting for pressure from labour unions. He urged workers to sustain the cordial relationship between government and organised labour.
The campaign has received strong endorsements from workers and labour leaders in several local government areas, including Okene, Ogori-Magongo, Ankpa, Adavi, Okehi, Dekina, Omala, Bassa, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Yagba East, Yagba West, and Mopamuro. Labour leaders, including chairmen of Nigeria Union of Teachers and Medical and Health Workers Union, passed a vote of confidence in Governor Ododo.
The campaign has become a platform through which workers are being encouraged to examine the policies and programmes of the present administrations before making their electoral choices in 2027. Edoka listed the implementation of the new minimum wage, payment of full salaries to local government workers, and health insurance coverage for workers and pensioners as some of the measures that have helped create a more conducive working environment.
With the campaign now moving across the three senatorial districts, its organisers appear determined to turn workplace engagement into a broader grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections. For the labour unions and workers who have publicly endorsed the administrations, policies affecting salaries, minimum wage, promotions, healthcare, hazard allowances, pensions, and general working conditions should be considered alongside broader political issues when deciding who should govern.
Key points
- The campaign, led by Comrade Onuh Edoka, aims to promote workplace security and continuity of the current administrations in Kogi State.
- Organised labour in Kogi State is mobilising workers to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
- The campaign has received endorsements from various labour leaders and workers across different local government areas in Kogi State.
