Joy Emmanuel 

Bayelsa state government has urged the national leadership of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to work with other stakeholders to ensure a free, fair and credible election of a new executive body to run the affairs of the labour centre in the state.

The state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call at an expanded meeting with state executives of the TUC, its affiliate unions and relevant government  in Yenagoa, on Tuesday.

Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, appealed to the National Executive Council of the TUC, under the leadership of Comrade Festus Osifo, to suspend the state chapter election billed for Wednesday 19th, November, 2025 to enable government and other stakeholders sort out thorny issues surrounding the election.

He pointed out that whilst the state government has no interest in who becomes the next Chairman of the TUC in the state, it would not shirk its responsibility to ensure that peace, equity, fairness and justice prevail in the forthcoming TUC election in the state.

To this end, the Deputy Governor set up a five-member committee to investigate the issues threatening the conduct of a peaceful, free and fair election for the state council of the Congress.

The Committee, headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr Irorodamie Komonibo, was mandated to get the TUC constitution and the guidelines issued by its national leadership for the elections conducted in Ekiti, Ogun, Kebbi and other states.

The electoral committee for the Bayelsa Council election was also asked to make available to the Komonibo-led committee, the three guidelines allegedly issued at different times by the national body.

Members of the committee include the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Governor, Comrade Gowon Toruyouyei, the Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Mr Saturday Odoko, his information counterpart, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, and the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Mr Perekeme Richard.

His words: “The TUC has to submit their constitution to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House and members of the committee to look at. Secondly, the guidelines used for the election in Ekiti, Ogun, Kebbi and other states must also be made available to the committee today (Tuesday).

“Thirdly, the first, second and third guidelines alleged to have been issued for the Bayelsa election should also made available to the committee.

“Finally, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, should call the National President of TUC to suspend the Bayelsa election because of what is happening in the state.

“We are pleading with them (the national leadership of TUC) to put the election scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) forward until we have sorted out all the issues.

‘We are not interested in who becomes your union Chairman. But we are interested in seeing fairness, equity, justice, good conscience and natural law which is the basis of all humanity being exhibited in your election.”

In their separate contributions, the Head of Service, Dr Wisdom Ebiye Sawyer, and the Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, stressed that government as a critical player in industrial relations would not fold its arms and watch actions that were capable of creating acrimony and instability in any of the labour centres.

Mrs Koku-Obiyai, who is a former state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, described electoral guidelines as key to the conduct of any credible election, called on the national Executive of TUC to ensure uniformity of its guidelines across the various states of the federation.

Also speaking, the state Chairman of TUC, Dr. Laye Julius, appealed to the state government to wade into the brewing crisis to enable the Bayelsa Council choose its new leadership without interference from any quarters.

The state Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Andabai Sonia, state Secretary of TUC, Mr Amatoru Bright, the Financial Secretary, Mr Abah Dressman, the ELECO Chairman, Mr Anengimo Jonah, a chairmanship candidate for the state TUC election, Mr Igbudu Pedro and the state Chairman, Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Mr Maxwell Willie, among others spoke at the meetings