The caretaker committee chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Edo State chapter, Prof Monday Igbafen on Thursday said the NLC in Edo State is in a quagmire.
Igbafen advised ‘genuine’ workers in the state to stay indoors and mourn their conditions rather than honour the May Day celebration scheduled to hold at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Friday.
A statement he signed and made available to journalists in Benin City said other state councils of the NLC may, perhaps, find reason to roll out drums on May Day. But that, the Caretaker Committee of the NLC in Edo State does not have any reasons to celebrate.
The statement titled “A MAY DAY THAT MUST NOT HOLD” said the scheduled May 1, Workers Day in Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, “is no true reflection of May Day. It is a hoax. Genuine labour leaders and true workers have resolved to stay indoors to mourn, in silence, the present travails of labour in our state. Let the public be rescued from this deception. Let it be known: tomorrow’s assembly is powered neither by the legitimate leadership of the NLC in Edo State, nor by the National Leadership of Congress. Those behind it are usurpers and hijackers of the Edo State Council of the NLC.”
He said governments and employers globally are not known to be the direct organizers of May Day, adding that an Edo State government circular dated April 22, 2026 mandated compulsory attendance for all civil and public servants.
“Dear Comrades and Workers of Edo State! It is with a profound sense of comradeship that we address you on the eve of May Day, May 1, 2026. May Day is a sacred, global occasion. It belongs to the toiling working class — the proletariat. It is a day to reflect on the rights of labour, to honor the sweat and sacrifice of workers, and to celebrate our collective hand in building the wealth of nations.
“Let it be said plainly: May Day is not for the oppressor. It is not for the compradors, the bourgeoisie, or the employers of labour to parade their dominance. It was never meant to celebrate the conquest of workers’ autonomy, nor to mask the strangulation of independent trade unionism.
“Other State Councils of the NLC across this federation may, perhaps, find reason to roll out drums on May Day. But we, the Caretaker Committee of the Edo State NLC, speaking for every right-thinking worker in this state, declare without apology: the labour environment in Edo today cannot and must not inspire celebration.
For how can a people divided ever be joyful?“Make no mistake: the Edo NLC is in a quagmire. We are locked in struggle against the combined forces of reactionaries, impostors, self-imposed leaders, political collaborators, and labour aristocrats. Every genuine effort to reposition this Council has been met with repression. Yet we are not in despair. The struggle continues.”
Continuing he said, “Therefore, let the record reflect this truth: No pretentious May Day organized, engineered, and bankrolled by compradors can ever keep alive the glorious philosophy of May Day.
“To the public, and especially to every well-meaning worker in Edo State, we say: Do not be deceived. The gathering scheduled for tomorrow at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, is no true reflection of May Day. It is a hoax. Genuine labour leaders and true workers have resolved to stay indoors to mourn, in silence, the present travails of labour in our state. Let the public be rescued from this deception. Let it be known: tomorrow’s assembly is powered neither by the legitimate leadership of the NLC in Edo State, nor by the National Leadership of Congress. Those behind it are usurpers and hijackers of the Edo State Council of the NLC.”
“History is our witness. Globally, governments and employers are not known to be the direct organizers of May Day. Yet here we are, confronted by a tense government circular dated April 22, 2026: mandating compulsory attendance for all civil and public servants; deploying state-funded buses to ferry workers from every corner of the state; and issuing veiled threats of sanction against defaulters. But civil and public servants are not the only workers. May Day belongs to all who labour.
“We do not reject government support for a successful May Day. But we must condemn, in the strongest terms, the open takeover of its organization. This is not assistance, it is interference. It is a violent intrusion into the affairs of the trade union movement in Edo State. It is the very undue meddling that this Caretaker Committee has sworn to defeat.”
Meanwhile, the second faction led by Comrade Benard Joman Eguakhide, said preparations for the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration is in top gear .
Eguakhide called on all affiliate unions, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and various stakeholders to join in the commemoration at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium .
Comrade Eguakhide said the
event is expected to host prominent figures, including the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and other high-ranking government officials.
“The NLC anticipates a large turnout, demonstrating a unified commitment to addressing the issues affecting the workforce and promoting decent work for all.” He said.
