Nigeria’s CNPP Condemns Unwarranted Raid on Labour Congress Headquarters

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has strongly condemned the recent raid on the headquarters of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) by security operatives. In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, James Ezema, on Thursday, the CNPP described the act as a "Gestapo-style operation" and a blatant disregard for the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

The organization urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the security agencies involved in the raid to order, stating that it is appalling that such an incident occurred under his watch. The CNPP also demanded that the President immediately call to order the security agencies that are turning Nigeria into a police state, attacking opposition voices, and hounding them into detention.

The CNPP emphasized that they are not advocating for violent agitation or protests, or the distribution of inciting materials. Instead, they decried the attempt to gag citizens or intimidate them into submission. According to the agency, this approach will only encourage further anarchy and earn more hatred for the Tinubu administration from the people.

The statement continued, "As the saying goes, ‘a hungry man is an angry man.’ We warn that if the Tinubu administration forgets that Mr President was a product of the trenches, it may be disastrous for the economy if security agencies push citizens underground through the ongoing high-handedness."

The CNPP therefore called on President Tinubu to respect the rights of citizens, including the NLC, and to focus on addressing the economic and security challenges facing the nation.