Committed to advocating policies that improve the welfare of Nigerians, the Working People United (WoPU) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Tinubu, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta North senatorial candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group also invested former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, as its patron, describing him as a statesman whose experience would help strengthen the organisation’s vision of promoting good governance and workers’ participation in politics.
Speaking at the official inauguration of the Delta State chapter in Asaba, the Coordinator-General of WoPU and former President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Williams Akporeha, said the body was established as a civic and political movement to give working people a stronger voice in governance and public affairs.
He explained that the organisation represents workers in both the formal and informal sectors and is committed to advocating policies that improve the welfare of Nigerians while supporting leaders who demonstrate a commitment to good governance.
“We are here for two reasons: to advocate good policies and to support good politics. Working people should not only demand accountability but also identify and support leaders who can deliver good governance,” Akporeha said.
Declaring the group’s endorsement of President Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, Akporeha described the President as a courageous leader who had taken difficult but necessary decisions to reposition Nigeria’s economy.
While acknowledging that the removal of fuel subsidy initially brought hardship to many Nigerians, he maintained that the policy was in the country’s long-term interest.
“I was among labour leaders who opposed the removal of fuel subsidy. But after engaging the President, I understood the realities he inherited, including an empty treasury and the unsustainable burden of borrowing to pay salaries. Today, workers’ salaries are no longer delayed the way they used to be,” he said.
Akporeha, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also commended President Tinubu for approving a new national minimum wage more than two years ago and reducing the wage review cycle from five years to three years, describing the measures as evidence of the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
He also endorsed Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, saying his administration had demonstrated purposeful leadership and commitment to development in Delta State, emphasising that WoPU would mobilise support for leaders who prioritise the welfare of the people.
