ELECTION: TRIBUNALS TO SHUTDOWN AS JUDICIAL WORKERS GO ON STRIKE OVER SUBSIDY


Election petition tribunals sitting across the country would be shut down this week as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria announced that it would join the Nigeria Labour Congress in industrial strike over the removal of federal subsidies on petroleum products. 

On May 29th 2023 during his inaugural speech, President Bola Tinubu announced the end of the subsidies upon assumption of office last week, a move that immediately set the country on dire economic straits as workers began anticipating draconian changes in the prices of commodities across the country.

PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party are both challenging President Tinubu’s declaration as president at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja. Other tribunals hearing cases ranging from state assembly elections to governorship poll disputes are also expected to be affected by the strike, which begins Wednesday. 

In a memo dated June 3 said its members would proceed on a solidarity protest strike with the Nigeria Labour Congress, the largest workers affiliate, on Wednesday. 
“This is to inform all branches and chapters of our great union across Nigeria to begin mobilisation for a nationwide action and withdrawal of service,” The memo states.
Isaiah Adetola, one of the JUSUN executives who signed the memo said that the strike would affect all judicial workers, and the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal will have to shut down.
“We cannot watch as Nigerian poor masses are dying on the streets because a government said there will be no going back on subsidy removal,” Mr Adetola said. “That cannot be a realistic or acceptable situation for the Nigerian workers.”
Mr Adetola said Nigerian workers are not necessarily against removing subsidies on petrol, which have been in place since 1970s, but decried the manner with which President Tinubu ordered the policy. Millions of Nigerians are expected to be plunged further into poverty as food prices shoot up across the country.

Everything scatter scatter
Poor man dey suffer suffer
Gbosa Gbosa