Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has accused the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), FCT Council, Dr Stephen Adalo Knabayi, of using the ongoing indefinite strike to advance the political interests of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Olayinka said Knabayi, who is a Deputy Director in the Education Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), was an aspirant for the chairmanship of Kuje Area Council under the ADC.
He alleged that the directive ordering FCTA workers to embark on an indefinite strike was politically motivated to position his party ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Despite being a Deputy Director in the Education Secretariat of the FCTA, he was an aspirant for Kuje Area Council Chairman under the ADC. All because of the 2027 elections, he believes that by this strike action, his party, ADC, will win elections in 2027,” Olayinka said in a brief statement on Wednesday.
He described the industrial action as an attempt to use labour agitation for partisan advantage.
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT Chapter, has dissociated itself from the indefinite strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing, directing secondary school teachers and education officers to report for duty.
The union’s stance was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by its State Executive Council (SEC) after an emergency meeting to review the industrial action called by the NUT FCT Wing.
ASUSS argued that the academic future of students should not be compromised over industrial disputes, describing the strike as premature and detrimental to educational stability in the territory.
Addressing the demands raised by the NUT, ASUSS offered counter-positions on the three issues driving the dispute.
It said the vacancy requirement remained a statutory provision of the Public Service Rules (PSR) governing establishment control and financial planning, adding that altering career structures required administrative dialogue rather than coercion.
The union clarified that the framework for affected teachers had already been resolved, noting that the 2025 promotion process would run concurrently with the 2026 cycle under the FCT Civil Service Commission, as outlined in circulars released in September 2026.
It maintained that the redeployment of education agency directors to classrooms fell within management’s statutory prerogative to maintain administrative order.
ASUSS further alleged that the strike was calculated to disrupt the scheduled 2025/2026 promotion examinations for FCT Education Officers.
The union urged all eligible education officers to participate in the examinations according to the published timetable, while calling on parents and guardians to send their children to school, assuring them that academic activities would continue uninterrupted.
It also issued directives to secondary school principals, vice-principals and education officers:
“All secondary schools must remain fully open for academic and administrative activities without interruption.
“Ensure that all teachers report to their respective classrooms to execute their normal duties and teach students diligently.
“Disregard any directives or instructions from unauthorised bodies aimed at disrupting the academic calendar.
“Monitor attendance and ensure a safe, conducive learning environment for all students who are innocent victims of unnecessary industrial disruptions.”
Efforts to get a reaction from Dr Knabayi were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
