Presidential candidate of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections in Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has blamed opposition for the failure of democracy in the country.
He said: “today, the failings of the opposition parties to uphold the functionality of their existence is the major threat to our democracy.”
In his message today, June 11, to mark the nation’s Democracy Day coming up tomorrow, June 12, Atiku emphasized that the opposition political parties are more guilty than the ruling party for the seeming lack of capacity to come together and galvanize a coalition that will retire the ruling party and articulate a plan of good governance that will earn the conviction of Nigerians.
“The earlier they realise that the fortunes of Nigeria lies in their forging a coalition, the better it will be for our country and the people.”
Atiku, who is the former Nigeria’s Vice President, insisted however that there is no substitute to democracy as a form of government.
“Whereas our current democratic dispensation is a quarter of a century old, it will not be out of place to pay tributes to the sacrifices made by many patriots, chiefly among them Basorun MKO Abiola and his beloved wife, Alhaja (Mrs) Kudirat Abiola, Tafida Shehu Yar’Adua and Alfred Rewane, among many others.
“The historical timeline of the struggle that birthed this democracy is abundant with a series of coalitions and alliances amongst the political leaderships of that era to flush away the vestiges of military and dictatorial governance in order to return power to the people.
“It is commendable that for 25 years, we have witnessed an uninterrupted season of electoral politics. It is an unprecedented epoch in our history.
“It is worthy of celebration and commendation must go to the people of our great country. I must also congratulate the political class for having embraced the rectitude of nurturing a democracy, as well as the civil society. It is important that all stakeholders continue to do their bit to ensure the sustainability of our democracy.
“But our democracy is not yet virile if it continually fails to deliver the promises of prosperity and liberty to the people.
“However, the past nine years has thrown up a regime of extreme hardship manifested in excruciating poverty and unprecedented levels of violence and insecurity upon our people. Sadly, the ruling All Progressives Congress is to blame for bringing forth this dawn of gloom.”

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has described state governors who are saying that they cannot pay N62,000 as the new national minimum wage as lazy ones.
Speaking today, June 10, at the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Ajaero conpared the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki who has been paying N70,000 as minimum wage to the state civil servants to other governors that are giving excuses.

The labour leader asked other governors to emulate Governor Obaseki and stop being lazy.

“Where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from (to pay N70,000 as minimum wage)? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones.”
The NLC President said: “how can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.
“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.
“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.”

Ajaero said that the organized labour will not resume the nationwide strike tomorrow or soon because President Bola Tinubu has not made official pronouncement on the outcome of the report that had been presented to him.
“We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President.”
He said that the tripartite committee’s proposals are awaiting the President’s decision and the NLC’s National Executive Council will deliberate on the new figure once it is announced.
“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf.”

Against the backdrop of the federal government’s proposed N62,000 as new minimum wage for Nigeria’s workers, organized labour has sounded a warning that it will not accept anything less than N250,000.
Spokesperson for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Benson Upah, in a statement, labelled the government proposed N62,000 as a demonstration of non-seriousness in addressing workers’ grievances.
Benson Upah said that the proposed ₦62,000 is insufficient to maintain a decent standard of living amidst the escalating cost of living in the country.
He stressed that the Union would not accept the government position, saying: “No, not all….it is far too low below the threshold. No deal. Government is not serious yet.”
This was even as the Trade Union Congress (TUC), insisted the proposed N250,000 minimum wage.
It cited necessity of the N250,000 to meet the challenges of the present socio-economic climate.
The TUC’s first deputy president, Tommy Okon, said that the proposed amount is justifiable considering various socio-economic factors, such as housing, transportation, healthcare, education, and tariffs, as outlined in the cost of living index.
He advised President Tinubu to consider their proposal in line with the current realities.
“You are aware that our position is very clear on the minimum of N250,000. If we had done otherwise, you would have seen. So, we have taken our position to Mr. President, through the committee.
“So, let Mr. President decide. That is our position. We stand by ₦250,000 national minimum wage.
“Like I said, it is now at Mr. President’s prerogative, because what we have done is to help the government and also to help the President work this stuff. Remember, when Mr. President said fuel subsidy was gone, he said he was going to pay workers a living wage. So, we have been able to put out a variable facts that can technically prove that ₦250,000 could be manageable as a living wage. This is because when you look at the value of ₦62,000, and the present socioeconomic challenges, it cannot amount to what Mr. President referred to in his inaugural speech as a living wage.
“So, we are helping the government to work, because what the government has offered so far cannot be justifiable going by the present cost of living. The reason is that there is no variable fact to speak on it. Is it for housing? Is it for transportation? Is it for medical? Is it for education? Is it for tariff? These are indices that we have come to look at through the cost of living index that ₦250,000 is justifiable.
“So, that is what we are doing. And we believe that Mr. President is very sensitive, and that he would look at it as a democrat and see that, yes, what the workers have put forward is also considerable in line with the present reality. So, that is our position and we believe that Mr. President, who came on to announce the removal of fuel subsidy without consulting us, will also find a way to see that he appeases us, because when that was done, we never went on strike. So, in this case, Mr. President will also consider that they need to give us a wage of ₦250,000.”
The federal government Tripartite Committee had submitted its report to President Bola Tinubu last Friday. The Committee, made up of representatives of the federal and state governments as well as the private sector, recommended a minimum wage of ₦62,000.