President Bola Tinubu has met with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress behind closed doors, a move aimed at shelving the planned nationwide protests over the deteriorating security situation in the country.

The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, while speaking with journalists, described the engagement as a consultation rather than a conclusive negotiation, stressing that labour’s leadership would first brief its internal organs before making any public pronouncement.

He said: “We came for a consultation with the President, and we are finished. So we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow (today). By tomorrow (Wednesday), we will get the outcome.”

Pressed on whether the NLC was still insisting on proceeding with its planned protest, Ajaero declined to commit either way, emphasising that decisions within the congress are collective and not driven by individuals.

“If I’m insisting or not insisting, I will communicate that to you,” he said. “It is not an organisation that one person rules. We will go back to the drawing board, digest all that Mr. President said to us, and move forward from there.”

Also present at the meeting was Imo State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who said sustained dialogue remained the preferred option for resolving outstanding issues between labour and the government.

According to the Progressive Governors Forum chairman, “Consultation is going on. We were dialoguing, and like he (Ajaero) said, at the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know.”