By  SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN—AHEAD the July 14, governorship election in Edo State, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, yesterday, held a solidarity rally in support of the second term ambition of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

The organised labour also called for the sack of the President of the National Industrial Court.

They accused the court of always granting orders that they described as frivolous against the congress, which, according to them, tends to violate the rights of Nigerian workers.

State chairman of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mr Godwin Erhahon, had gone to court to stop labour from holding the rally. Trial judge in the matter, Justice M. Esowe, had, following the suit, restrained NLC from going ahead with the rally.

Meanwhile, Oghomwan Mandate Group, OMG, a socio-political group in Edo State, has described the rally as an attempt to ridicule the judiciary, despite the court injunction by the National Industrial Court.

The group, in a statement by Osahon Ahuwan, argued that it was an abuse of power for the state government to allow the rally to hold even when there was an injunction, adding that it was “sad because the current governor of the state came in through the judicial process but they have failed to respect the judiciary today.”

Following the order, the police locked up the stadium, where the scheduled rally was to hold but the leadership of NLC in the state, resisted the closure as they put a call across to the state Police Commissioner, Mr Balogun Olayinka and warned him against trampling on the rights of workers of the state. The stadium was opened afterwards and the well attended rally commenced after organised labour went round the streets of Benin City, soliciting support for Oshiomhole.

Urging Edo State people to support Oshiomhole for a second term because of his achievements in the past three years, National President of NLC, Mr Abdulwaheed Omar; National President of TUC, Mr Peter Esele; former labour leaders Ali Ciroma, Hassan Somuno and Governor Oshiomhole, also took a swipe at the injunction granted by the court, which they described as a nullity.