What began as a routine welfare dispute within the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has rapidly escalated into a full-blown national labour confrontation, pitting FCT Minister Nyesom Wike against Nigeria’s most powerful labour unions.
The crisis, triggered by unresolved welfare and promotion issues affecting FCTA workers, has now drawn in the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), effectively transforming the struggle from a departmental disagreement into a nationwide labour battle with far-reaching implications.
At the centre of the storm is the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), which had embarked on an indefinite strike after accusing the FCT Administration of failing to honour key agreements. The minister, however, insists that 10 out of the unions’ 14 demands have been met — a claim the workers vehemently reject.
According to JUAC, the most critical issues remain untouched, including unpaid promotion arrears for 724 officers and the controversial extension of service for retired Permanent Secretaries, which the unions describe as illegal and provocative.
In a move widely seen as an attempt to break the strike, Minister Wike approached the National Industrial Court, Abuja, filing Suit No: NICN/ABJ/17/2026 against the unions. On January 23, 2026, Justice E. D. Subilim granted an interim order restraining the unions from further picketing or blocking roads within the FCT.
But rather than weakening the unions, the court action appears to have hardened labour’s resolve.
The NLC and TUC have formally taken over the dispute, accusing the FCT Administration of intimidation and bad faith. They have directed all affiliate unions within the FCT to align with JUAC and escalate the strike, declaring the matter a national labour issue.
Labour leaders also insist the court order was obtained in their absence through substituted service, alleging that the FCTA misled the court about the true status of negotiations and outstanding demands. They have vowed to challenge the order vigorously.
As the legal battle intensifies, both sides have assembled formidable legal teams. While Minister Wike is backed by a battery of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), the unions, now strengthened by the NLC and TUC, are reportedly supported by no fewer than seven SANs, prepared to argue that the strike is a fundamental labour right and that the FCTA has failed in its obligations to workers.
In a dramatic escalation, workers have been directed to mobilise en masse to the National Industrial Court on Monday, January 26, 2026, in what labour leaders describe as a peaceful show of solidarity and resistance against what they term “repressive governance.”
With Abuja already feeling the effects of disrupted services, the coming week is shaping up to be a decisive moment — not just for FCT workers, but for labour-government relations nationwide.
By taking the unions to court, critics say the minister may have unintentionally united the entire labour movement against him, setting the stage for one of the most consequential labour showdowns in recent years.