
As the crisis over the leadership of the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, persists, the Acting chairman of the union, Bernard Joman Egwakhide, said he remains the incumbent leader of the council.
DAILY POST reports that two factions are now laying claim to the executive of the union in the state.
The factions are Prof Monday Igbafen-led executive backed by the president of the union, Joe Ajaero and that of Bernard Joman Egwakhide, allegedly backed by the Edo State House of Assembly and the state government.
The Monday Igbafen-led caretaker committee was sworn in on Thursday, 28, 2025 by officials from the national headquarters of the union led by Oluwole Adeleye Sunday, in an undisclosed location in Benin City, following the sealing of the secretariat by security agencies.
The inauguration of the caretaker committee followed the alleged dissolution of the Comrade Bernard Egwakhide-led executive by the national leadership of the union.
Speaking with newsmen at the union secretariat, Bernard Egwakhide insisted that he remains the authentic acting state chairman of NLC.
Egwakhide, opined that the representatives of the National leadership of the union failed to show up for the inauguration of the authentic caretaker committee scheduled to hold at the State NLC secretariat located at Temboga road in Benin City.
He said the executives and members of the union waited all day for the national officials for their inauguration but they were, however, disappointed that they never showed up.
“From the directive and the letter sent by the National secretary, it stated that they are coming to inaugurate a committee. We have been here since morning. Other workers have been here too.
“We have not seen anybody who comes into this place to inaugurate any committee. So, we feel that nothing has happened again.
”In all, Comrade Bernard Egwuakhide remain the authentic chairman of Edo NLC. I emerged as the caretaker committee chairman of the Edo NLC after 43 affiliate unions gave me their nods”, he said.
He stated that he emerged as the caretaker committee chairman following the alleged removal of the erstwhile chairman, Odion Olaye, from office.
He, however, accused the Joe Ajaero-led National leadership of the union of causing trouble in the Edo State chapter after he attempted to impose other caretaker committee members on the workers.
Egwuakhide alleged that Joe Ajaero also flouted the Edo State House Assembly resolution on the state’s NLC leadership for peace to reign.
I remain authentic Edo NLC Acting chairman – Bernard Egwakhide