In protest of the emergency rule, Rivers TUC opts out of the May Day celebration

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Rivers State has ignited a political firestorm by boycotting the 2025 Workers’ Day celebrations to protest the federal government’s declaration of a state of emergency in the state. Terming the action “a democratic travesty,” the union accused President Bola Tinubu of overstepping constitutional boundaries and threatening the nation’s fragile democracy.

Rather than joining thousands of Nigerian workers in the usual jubilant Workers’ Day rallies, the TUC convened at its Port Harcourt Secretariat to issue what it called “a cry for constitutional order.” June Danagogo, the union’s State Secretary, addressed the media with a blistering critique of the federal decision to suspend Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the House of Assembly, calling the move an “executive ambush on elected leadership.”

“This emergency declaration rides roughshod over Section 305 of the Constitution. It’s illegal, undemocratic, and downright dangerous,” Danagogo proclaimed.

He stressed that Nigeria’s democratic institutions must not be subordinated to presidential whims. The TUC, he said, views this development as a potential flashpoint for economic disruption and societal instability. According to the union, the emergency rule will paralyze local governance, threaten business continuity, and expose ordinary citizens to escalating security risks.

“The economic consequences are dire. This will kill jobs, strangle commerce, and deepen the suffering of already burdened workers,” the union lamented.

Warning against a drift into autocracy, the TUC called on President Tinubu to retract the emergency rule immediately. “This is not the Nigeria we fought for. It’s time to restore order, dignity, and democratic discipline.”