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JUST IN: FG To Consider Minimum wage review as labour begins strike on Wednesday Over Subsidy

The Federal Government has said it is considering an increase in the national minimum wage to reflect the current economic realities in the country.
This was as the controversy trailing the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidy and the subsequent increase in the price of premium motor spirit (petrol) took a fresh turn on Friday when the Nigeria Labour Congress threatened to embark on a nationwide strike on Wednesday.
NLC specifically cautioned that it would not go back on its decision to withdraw its services should the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited fail to reverse the increase of the price of PMS to N184 per litre.
The workers’ union had during its emergency National Executive Council meeting in Abuja directed its affiliates, including state councils and industrial unions, to mobilise workers for a nationwide strike and protest if nothing was done by the Federal Government to embrace the status quo as far the price of petrol was concerned.
But President Tinubu, who spoke when he received members of the Progressive Governors Forum led by the Chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, at the Presidential Villa, said that an improved livelihood for Nigerians remained the top priority of his administration through more people-focused economic policies.
“We need to do some arithmetic and soul searching on the minimum wage. We will have to take a look at that together, and the revenue. We must strengthen the source and application of our revenue,” Tinubu added.
The President urged the governors to seize the opportunity of being chosen among millions of citizens in their states to make a difference in the lives of people, adding that he would work for the benefit of Nigerians.
On the planned workers’ strike, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, while briefing journalists after the union’s emergency National Executive Council meeting, said, “The NEC in session directed that the leadership of NLC should be cautious of negotiations with people without portfolios.
“It is destructive and until the government is properly constructed and the people who will negotiate with labour are people with mandate and capacity to convince the government of the day, such negotiations may not be valid wherever.
“Consequently, the NLC decided that if by Wednesday next week, the NNPCL, a private limited liability company that illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector, refuses to reverse, the NLC and all its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protest nationwide until this is complied with.
“The NLC NEC directs all state councils and industrial unions to commence mobilisation from this moment.”
Recall that President Tinubu, during his inaugural speech on Monday, May 29, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, saying, “Subsidy is gone”.
Though the President’s image makers had in different statements insisted that Tinubu was misquoted by some sections of the media.
However, Tinubu’s declaration led to an increase in panic buying with some filling stations across the country pegging the pump price of petrol at N600 per litre few hours after the announcement.
The NNPCL had on May 31, 2023 announced new pump prices according to states, even as some representatives of the government met with NLC officials, a meeting which ended in a deadlock.
TUC, FG meet
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress on Friday said it would meet with the representatives of the Federal Government on Sunday over the increase in the price of petrol.
The congress also noted that it would not take any action until the end of the meeting.
The TUC disclosed this following an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council which held in Abuja.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the union’s National President, Festus Osifo, said, “After the holistic review and painstakingly going through the entire sequence, we want to say that the congress is unhappy with the unilateral decision of the fuel subsidy removal by the government.
“Our expectation was that they should have engaged the representatives of the people, the organised labour, but it was done unilaterally.
“Having noted this, we wish to state as follows that the NEC in session resolves that discussions should continue while we demand that government should reverse to status quo ante.
“And because of the fact that we had a meeting with government on Wednesday, NEC has mandated us to go back to that meeting and put our demand before the government. It is how government reacts to our demand that will now necessitate the next line of action.
“We will tarry till Sunday when we will meet with the representatives of government. Once we are done with the meeting and the demands that the TUC will put forward, their reaction will determine our next line of action.”
In a related development, the APC governors have accused oil marketers of inflicting pains on Nigerians by hoarding fuel supply after President Tinubu’s announcement on Monday on the removal of fuel subsidy.
Addressing State House Correspondents on Friday, the Chairman of PGF and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, condemned the price increase in what he described as “old stock” and called on Nigerians to rally behind the government’s decision to discontinue the payment of petrol subsidy.
When asked how states would intervene to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians, Uzodinma said, “There’ll be new economic realities and once a new policy comes, there’s usually this panic. For instance, from May 29 till today, I’m not aware that any petroleum marketer has imported any product.
“All the products in their storage facilities are those already imported, subsidised by government. Why the rush to increase the prices? It is man’s inhumanity to man. So, I think that what we should do is to be our brother’s keepers and learn how to save the firewood we got during the dry season, so that we can use it during the rainy season.
“I have no doubt in my mind that the man who has raised his pump price from N300 plus to N500 plus is creating panic that there’ll be no product.”
MAN reacts
Speaking on the planned workers’ strike, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, called on labour to give the President a chance and allow the deregulation process.
“Labour should drop the idea of going on strike so that we can all move in the same direction. You can give a benefit of doubt to this current administration because they are just coming on board.
“They should dialogue with the government to see how the negative impact of the removal of subsidy can be ameliorated. So far, the President has spoken well, and there is every possibility that we must witness some positive movement. He needs to put his word into action.
“If you ask me whether I want to buy petrol at a lower cost, I will tell you yes, but as to whether the government should continue to subsidise, the answer is no. When you remove it, the price will go up, but the government should not reverse its decision to remove the subsidy.”
Reacting to the issue, former Director of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muda Yusuf, said it was not an advisable move to reverse the pump price of fuel, noting that it would be best for the Federal Government and the Labour Union to intensify negotiations so that palliatives that would cushion the hardship could be discussed.
He noted, “Well I don’t think it’s advisable to reverse the pump price of petrol. What needs to happen is for negotiations to take place in an accelerated manner so that palliatives and things like that can be discussed because the economy is already on the brink.
“It is also in the interest of the workers because this reform will put more money in the hands of government so that government will be able to pay these people well.”
He added that strike by labour was not the way out, adding that any industrial action would further disrupt the economy.
In a related development, the leadership of Labour Party has thrown its weight behind the planned industrial action of the NLC, describing the removal of petroleum subsidy as wicked, deliberate and ill-timed.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, knocked President Tinubu for bringing further hardship on the people barely 24 hours after his inauguration.
He said, “For us, I see it as wicked and a deliberate attempt on the part of government to continue to impoverish the people.
“The NLC is justified to go on strike. It has no option than to do what it is doing now. The truth is that Nigerians are not saying continuation of subsidy is justified. Even as a party, we also said that we are going to remove subsidy.
“But it was supposed to be done in phases and proper planning by putting certain infrastructure in place to take care of the situation we now find ourselves.”
However, the chief spokesman for the dissolved APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, frowned upon the decision of the NLC to embark on strike.
He said, “I warned Nigerians before about what this same NLC could do after the presidential election. What they are trying to do is a method that is outdated and I don’t think they will enjoy the support of the majority of Nigerians this time.
“So, I will appeal to them to reconsider this modus operandi that is now overused by the congress. Nigerians are well educated on this subsidy issue now and have shown their support for it.
“We have been told the President and Commander-in- Chief is lining up some palliatives in respect of the effect of the action by the Buhari regime.”
Makinde, Wike, Ibori back Tinubu
Lending his voice to the matter, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said in Abuja on Friday that although the discontinuance of subsidy was a tough decision for Nigerians, the Bola Tinubu-led administration had started on the right foot.
Emerging from an hours-long meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Makinde urged citizens to support the new administration, adding that fuel subsidy topped the agenda of their discussions during the meeting.
“Yes, we discussed it (petrol subsidy). It’s something that is on top of public discourse right now. We know it’s a tough decision for the people and he (Tinubu) needs the support of everybody to see this through.
“We also let him know that he has started well and that he has the support of the generality of the people,” Makinde said.
Meanwhile, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Wike, said Tinubu’s decision to discontinue fuel subsidy “shows that he’s prepared for the job.”
Wike said, “There’s no big deal about it. The governor of Oyo has told you what we came to do; to give him support. We are supporting all the decisions he’s taking.
“It shows that he’s prepared for the job and there’s nothing bad about that. It requires tough decisions for a country to move forward.”
Makinde and Wike had arrived at the State House in the company of former governor of Delta State (1999-2007), James Ibori, around 4:30pm.
Commenting on the threat by the NLC to commence strike on Wednesday if the fuel pump price is not reversed, an economist, Paul Alaje, explained that the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency, find a way to appease the union from embarking on the planned industrial action.
Alaje further stated that the Tinubu administration should find a way to convince the union and provide palliatives and alternatives for the poor.
He said, “Subsidy removal is also very essential at the same time the government must prove beyond reasonable doubt that this will reflect, unlike the removal of subsidy on kerosene that has no major impact on the lives of people.”
Meanwhile, the Paramount Ruler of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has called on labour to give Tinubu the benefit of the doubt, stating that industrial actions will do more harm than good to the economy.
The monarch made the appeal in a statement issued through his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, on Friday, adding that the long-term effect of the fuel subsidy removal would be to the advantage of innocent Nigerians.
‘Avoid panic buying’
Lagos State, the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, urged residents of the state to avoid panic buying in reaction to the recent increase in the price of petrol following the removal of fuel subsidy.
Hamzat made the call on Friday while speaking to journalists during an on-the-spot assessment of some filling stations in the Ikoyi area of the state.
He added that the essence of the tour was to see the situation of things, saying, “In terms of volume, according to the managers of fuel stations visited, we have enough; so, there is no need to rush to buy. There is no need to patronise black marketers.
“The regime of fuel subsidy was announced to have ended. Lagos is always the epicentre of everything; forty per cent of cabs are in Lagos, and whatever affects PMS, affects Lagos. So, the essence is to go around and assess the situation.
“Don’t patronise black marketers. The bottom line is very simple because there is no regime of fuel subsidy again.
“People don’t have the incentive to hoard anymore. It was sold for N185 in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin selling for N650, that is why we claim the volume is high, so the volume will crash.”
The deputy governor also cited the remarks by the International Monetary Fund, noting that the fuel subsidy was not sustainable.
“There are 48,000km of borders in Nigeria, even if you deploy the military, the Navy, people will steal because we are talking of market, we are subsidising fuel for other countries.
“Various commentators and IMF have told us we are spending trillions subsidising substantially rich people because we are spending on 13 per cent of the less privileged and 87 per cent for people who can afford it. It doesn’t make sense.
“So if we can plough that money back, then it makes it easier to invest in education, health, and others. So the President will be able to harness it and be able to use it for various projects,” he added.
Hamzat stated that the state government was aware of the effect of the subsidy removal because of its effects on the prices of transportation and commodities but things would get better.
“I understand that the transportation fares have gone higher but the only thing is that it will get a little tougher before it gets better. Remember, the prices in Lagos will be different from Ibadan. And even in Lagos, because of efficiency, prices will differ but you are not subsidising anybody’s inefficiency.
“It is a question of time, in just two or three months, things will stabilise. So, if the international prices crash, they will also crash. Competition will always make it crash, market forces will determine the prices,” he said.
Speaking on the matter, the Director General of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, pleaded with the Federal Government to use the proceeds of the gains of the recently removed petrol subsidy to help the generality of Nigerians.
Sulaiman made the appeal on Friday while delivering the first annual Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences lecture and book presentation at the Al-Hikmah University Ilorin.
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2027: Hurdles Before The Coalition, By Emeka Monye

The 2027 presidential election in Nigeria is shaping up to be a crucial contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a potential coalition of opposition parties. Several hurdles need to be overcome for the opposition coalition to succeed.
The political class is already preparing for this quadrennial event, holding consultations, meetings, negotiations, among other contending factors.
The ruling party, The All Progressive Congress, appears to be the most beautiful bride at the moment as members of other opposition parties have been courting the party, in a gale of defections, in what many political pundits and analysts described as a political tsunami.
While the APC seems to be enjoying the foray of defections by other party members into their fold, the main opposition party, The Peoples Democractic Party, PDP, appears to have lost its steam in the run of play.
The once dominant party is plagued by a series of internal crises which many political analysts believe will be the party’s undoings.
The once largest political party in Africa and oldest in Nigeria since it was created in 1998 by some elder statesmen, is now a shadow of itself, living in past glory and trying to win its way back to national prominence.
Already, some past and present leaders of the party have been consulting, negotiating, discussing, even though they have agreed yet, all in a bit to wrestle power from the stronghold of the Bola Tinubu-Led APC at the centre.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General elections, Peter Obi, former Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, among other bigwigs, are believed to be in talks with one another of how to build a possible coalition to edge the ruling APC in the power game.
Although, no concrete decision has been reached by the major actors, their negotiations and their inability to reach a consensus remain critical factors that might endanger the birth of a viable coalition.
Factors like who will step down for who as the realignment begins, remains a major issue, taking into consideration their individual experiences, exposures, skills, knowledge, capacities and egos.
Except this issue is resolved in the run up to the 2027 presidential polls, it will be a mirage for them to unseat the Tinubu-Led government.
While the running party is busy strategizing ahead of the 2027 presidential polls, the other parties are still grappling with their internal crisis.
Some analysts believe that Atiku’s past experience as Vice President under the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, might give him an edge, while others think Peter Obi’s popularity in the South could bring a geographical balance to the ticket.
For them to form a strong force against the APC, then, they must find common platform and agree on a candidate, which might be challenging given their different ideologies and interest.
Other factors which some political analysts have highlighted that may pose as a stumbling block agents the coalition is the timing. The time between and 2027 is quite a short time for the coalition to gather and make the desired impact.
This of course, is no brainer. Any merger of alliance must be arranged within a reasonable timeframe to be effective. Also, the coalition will have to convince the Nigerian voting public of its purpose and demonstrate a clear vision for the country’s future, particularly in the area of addressing the economic misfortunes of majority of the people. Another hurdle that would be staring the coalition in the face remains the issue of power rotation.
While the south believe it’s that turn to complete their second term in 2027, the north on the other hand argue that they have been short-changed in the governance structure of the country – in terms of number of years – since the return of democracy in 1999.
Out of the total 26 years, the north has ruled for 11 years, with the south 15 years. The issue remains a key factor that would affect the coalition to birth.
The coalition, must as a matter of urgency, decency decide on this unwritten agreement about rotating power between the North and the South, potentially present a southern for one term to allow the South to complete its own two terms for the office of the president.
In conclusion, the coalition, if it really wants to win power in 2027, must make a compelling case for itself, highlighting its unique strengths and vision, rather than just criticizing the incumbent.
It needs to differentiate itself and show Nigerians that it has a better alternative.
Emeka Monye Is A Journalist And Works With ARISE NEWS.
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Mauritania’s Tah succeeds Adesina as 9th AfDB President
Tah was elected to succeed Adesina after rounds of voting conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has been elected as the ninth president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) as Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina prepares to bow out.
The Bank announced his election on its website on Thursday.
Adesina’s 10-year tenure will end this year and Tah is expected to assume office on September 1, 2025.
Tah was elected to succeed Adesina after rounds of voting conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Board comprises finance ministers and central bank governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries.
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JUST IN: Appeal Court Affirms Okphebholo as Edo Governor

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Monday Okphebholo as duly elected in the September 21, 2024 Edo Governorship polls, as it affirms the decision of the Tribunal which on April 2 dismissed the petition of Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for lacking merit.
A three-man panel of the Appeal court, presided over by Justice Mohamed Danjuma, restated the position of the Tribunal which held that the PDP failed to provide sufficient and credible evidence to substantiate their claims of electoral malpractice, irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The panel held that the PDP failed to provide sufficient and credible evidence to substantiate their claims of electoral malpractice, irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The Appellate Court agrees with the Tribunal that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) Machines which the appellants tendered were merely ‘dumped’ as they weren’t demonstrated to prove overvoting.
This the Court held after it earlier expunged the 133 BVAS machines admitted in evidence at the Tribunal stage of the Governorship tussle.
Ighodalo and the PDP were further faulted by the Appellate Court for failing to tender the voter register to prove overvoting.
The Court further adds that BVAS extract doesn’t constitute items with which to prove overvoting. It says the documents tendered by the PDP at the Tribunal did not, on their own, prove overvoting, non-holding or cancellation of elections at the polling units.
To further puncture the case of the PDP, the panel says the 19 witnesses called by the appellants during the Tribunal hearing didn’t help their case.
It says the majority of them did not witness what they spoke about. Moreso, it adds they were insufficient to prove irregularities in polling stations at over 4,000 locations.
Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, had declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, against Asue Ighodalo of the PDP who garnered 247,274 votes.
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