Nigeria Labour Congress decries 3rd term

A labor umbrella organization covering some 60% of Nigeria's workers has called for Obasanjo's People's Democratic Party (PDP) to stop their push for a 3rd presidential term.

Reuters AlertNet:

The comment by the umbrella Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which represents about 60 percent of the country's workers, came as Obasanjo faced growing pressure from the U.S. government, which urged him to respect constitutional term limits in order to strengthen democracy in Africa's most populous nation.

"Nigeria Labour Congress was the first organisation to issue a statement rejecting third term. We rejected it and we have not changed our position," NLC president Adams Oshiomhole said at this year's Workers Day rally in the capital Abuja.

Oshiomhole said what the world's eighth biggest oil exporter needs now is a visionary leader who can see beyond his tenure.

The NLC president said Nigerian workers would resist any attempt by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the 2007 general elections and warned the authorities against muzzling opponents of the third term plan.

... Obasanjo has done nothing to stop the powerful campaign and he has repeatedly refused to give a clear answer on whether he intends to stay or go in 2007.

Essentially all but vested interests, the British House of Lords, and PDP State Governors have called for Obasanjo to back off. Stay tuned.