Buhari championed workers’ welfare, resisted IMF, World Bank pressure to end fuel subsidy — Ayuba Wabba

Immediate past President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has mourned the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a steadfast ally of Nigerian workers and a defender of the poor.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Wabba said Buhari’s death came as a painful shock to many, particularly the working class and vulnerable Nigerians who directly benefited from his people-oriented policies.

“What began as a routine medical check-up in London sadly turned into the loss of a leader who, despite his imperfections, consistently sided with the ordinary people,” Wabba said.

He praised Buhari’s intervention early in his administration when he approved a $2.1 billion bailout for financially distressed states to pay arrears of salaries and pensions, noting that the former President was visibly disturbed by the plight of workers.

“President Buhari once confronted governors, asking how they managed to sleep knowing that their workers were unpaid. That level of concern was genuine and deeply appreciated by the labour movement,” he recalled.

Wabba also cited a second round of bailout funds released by Buhari in 2017 to help states settle wage and pension debts, lamenting however that “some of the funds were sadly diverted by unscrupulous governors.”

He commended Buhari’s approach to the national minimum wage negotiations, revealing that the former President proposed a figure higher than the N30,000 minimum wage eventually adopted, but was opposed by a majority of governors.

“His intention was to give workers a better deal, but he was constrained by the resistance of some subnational governments,” Wabba said.

The former NLC leader also highlighted Buhari’s refusal to remove petrol subsidy, despite mounting pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

“Buhari resisted external pressure to hike fuel prices and instead chose to shield ordinary Nigerians from further economic hardship. That decision alone speaks volumes about his commitment to social protection,” he said.

Wabba stressed that Buhari would be remembered not for political theatrics but for concrete actions that touched the lives of workers, pensioners, and the downtrodden.

“His legacy will be measured by the impact he made where it mattered most — among the poor,” he stated.

He concluded by praying for the peaceful repose of the late President’s soul and extended condolences to the Buhari family.

“May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. I offer my deepest sympathies to Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the children, and all loved ones left behind,” he said.