In a recent interview with The Sun on Sunday, April 12, 2026, Senator Athan Achonu, former Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Imo State during the 2023 elections, has expressed concerns about the structure and internal control of the Labour Party.
Achonu stated that he is not comfortable with how the party is organised and how decisions are made within it, he specifically pointed to what he described as the strong influence of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the affairs of the party.
According to him, the NLC has an overbearing role that affects the independence of the Labour Party, he argued that this level of influence makes it difficult for the party to function freely as a political platform for all members.
He stated that he is not satisfied with the way the NLC approaches the protection of workers’ interests, in his view, the actions and posture of the group do not fully reflect the needs of Nigerian workers and the general public.
Achonu explained that he believes the welfare of workers is closely linked to the welfare of ordinary Nigerians, he said that when the interests of workers are properly protected, it naturally benefits the wider population, especially the common man.
He maintained that his discomfort with the structure of the party and the role of the NLC played a major part in his political decisions and stressed that a political party should remain open, balanced, and free from domination by any single group or organisation.
The former senator added that his expectations for a truly independent and broadly representative political platform were not met in the Labour Party.
”The structure of Labour Party, I’m not comfortable with it. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has an overbearing influence on the party. I am not comfortable with that and the NLC attitude of protecting the interest of Nigerian people in general. Once you protect the interest of Nigerian workers, you are protecting the Nigerian people, the common man,” he said.
