The (NLC) in Edo State is sharply divided ahead of the 2026 Workers’ Day, throwing May Day plans into confusion.
One faction, led by Professor Monday Igbafen, who claims to chair a caretaker committee of the Edo NLC, has rejected any form of celebration. In a strongly worded statement, Igbafen argued that the current state of labour in Edo does not justify festivity.
“Other states may roll out the drums, but Edo cannot celebrate,” he said. “A divided labour force cannot be joyful.”
He revealed that what he described as “genuine labour leaders and true workers” have resolved to stay indoors on May 1 in silent protest against what he called the worsening condition of labour in the state.
Igbafen went further, disowning the planned May Day gathering at the in Benin City, branding it illegitimate.
“That assembly is not backed by the recognised leadership of the NLC in Edo or the national body. It is the handiwork of impostors and hijackers,” he declared.
Describing the state council as being in crisis, Igbafen accused unnamed actors of undermining efforts to reposition the union, insisting that the struggle to reclaim the NLC in Edo was ongoing.
He warned workers and the public not to be misled, labelling the planned event a “hoax” that does not reflect the true spirit of May Day.
However, a rival faction led by Comrade Bernard Egwakide dismissed Igbafen’s claims outright.
In a telephone interview, Egwakide rejected both Igbafen’s authority and his assertions, describing him as unknown to Edo workers.
“The person you mentioned is unknown to me and to Edo workers. The Edo NLC is one and united,” he said.
Egwakide confirmed that workers would gather as planned at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for the May Day celebration, with the state governor expected as chief host.
With both sides digging in, Edo workers now face a fractured May Day, marked more by internal discord than solidarity.
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