After a long drawn voting process which lasted 27 hours, Comrade Abdula-waheed Ibrahim Omar of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) emerged the new President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He secured 927 votes to defeat Comrade Fidelis Edeh of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) who got 210 votes.
Omar replaced Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who was first elected in 1999 but has now moved on to play partisan politics in which he is seeking election as gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress (AC) in Edo State.
Two deputy national presidents, Mr Peter Adeyemi, of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Mr Irabor Onikolease, were returned unopposed.
Mr Ayuba Wabba, National President of the Medical Workers and Health Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) was also returned unopposed as Vice President.
Voting commenced at 10.04 p.m on Friday with only 27 of the 29 affiliates being cleared to cast their votes.
The process of voting lasted till 9.20 a.m. yesterday, when the 15 new executives members were inaugurated by the NLC General Secretary, Mr John Odah.
National presidents of Agricultural Workers union, Abdullahi Bungudu, that of NULGE, Kingsley Ogba and that of the Textile Workers union, Isa Aremu, were elected vice-presidents.
Also elected vice-presidents were the national President of the Food and Beverage Workers unions John Onyenemere and the Chairperson of the NLC Women Commission, Hajia Ladi Ilya.
Others are Peter Akpa-tason (NUPENG) as Natio-nal Trustee; Gidado Hamman (Road Transport Workers), Deputy Nati-onal Treasurer, while Sadiq Abubakar and Samuel Adeoye of Amalgamated and Construction Unions respectively were elected internal auditors.
The post of ex-officio members went to Mrs Lovina Okoro of the Nurses and Midwives union and Mrs Coretta Balogun of the Radio and Theatre Workers Union.
In his acceptance speech, Omar promised to fight for the liberation of Nigerian workers, whom he said have demonstrated that they are democrats.
He said the free and credible polls which led to his emergence as President should serve as model for the general elections holding in April.
�Nigerian workers have spoken in no uncertain terms today that clearly Nigerian workers, and indeed every member of the working class in this country as represented through the delegates here present, are the demonstration of democracy. In fact the night we spent here which many described as compulsory night vigil is certainly not in vain. If for nothing, we must have taught great lessons to Nigerians and indeed to the world and in particular to those people who profess democracy without practicing it.
�I want to assure you that with the crop of �INEC� officials we have here we are prepared to hire them to this nation or even allow them to work free of charge as long as they will work diligently and produce results that are free, fair and transparent as they have demonstrated here today�, he said.
Omar while thanking all the people present for their contribution to the success of the 9th Delegate Conference said �we are a team. We are going to work and operate as a team, Nigeria Labour Congress is going to forge ahead and consolidate the gains achieved during the reign of astute, courageous, bold, great and dynamic leader Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole.”
�It is unfortunate Sir, that you have to bow out not because you want it, no Nigerian worker wants you to bow out at the time you are bowing out but of course we have to respect history and dynamism of society. Certainly, we have learnt a lot from you. Although you will keep your experience, we assure you we have acquired a lot from you and we are going to apply it for the interest and development of the Nigerian working class�, he said.
Omar said the new NLC team has accepted the challenge of service to Nigerian workers and humanity. He assured that the team would in few days unfold their programme towards achieving the goals they have already identified. �I promise and assure you that as a team we are not going to let you down, we are not going to betray the confidence you have in us”, he said.
Feb182007