NLC Vows Abuja Shutdown Over Area Council Strike

Wike Faces Explosive Showdown

By: IDNN Politics Desk

With Abuja already choking under the weight of paralyzed public services, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a blunt ultimatum: if the FCT Administration doesn’t resolve the area council workers’ strike, they will lock down the capital.

The strike—now entering its fifth month—has grounded primary schools, closed health centres, and left thousands of residents without basic services. But the real target of the looming disruption is FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, whose silence, the NLC says, is “deliberate neglect.”

“We’re not disrupting Tinubu’s inauguration events, but once July 3 is over, we’re shutting it all down,” declared FCT NLC Chairman, Dr. Stephen Knabayi.
“Wike cannot ignore the people of Abuja while flexing for ribbon-cutting ceremonies.”

Already, signs of revolt are surfacing. Earlier this week, dozens of schoolchildren staged a protest outside Wike’s residence—an image now burning across social media.

 Why It Matters:

• This isn’t just a labour standoff. It’s a direct challenge to Wike’s governance and FCT priorities.

• If the strike action escalates, it could paralyze Tinubu’s symbolic post-inauguration momentum in Abuja.

• With schools shut and health centres inaccessible, public anger is boiling—and the NLC is preparing to weaponize it.

 What’s Next:

A city-wide shutdown is scheduled to begin immediately after July 3, unless Wike personally intervenes. Security agencies are quietly bracing for flashpoints as labour groups begin mass mobilization. For Abuja, a political storm is no longer looming—it’s loading