The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, led over 200 union members to the headquarters of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja, shutting down the facility in protest.
Ajaero said the action was in response to what he described as the inhumane treatment of workers by the company’s management, as well as the alleged exploitation of both employees and customers.
Eyewitnesses said the union members stormed the company’s headquarters and some of its branches at about 2:00 p.m., forcing staff to vacate their offices.
The protesters displayed placards bearing various inscriptions, including: “Electricity bill is the latest bandit in town,” “Nigerians are paying for megabytes of darkness,” “The bills are crazy, especially electricity bills,” “Must they continue to suffer us and we keep quiet?” and “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Speaking during the protest, Ajaero said the demonstration was aimed at confronting what he described as injustice and impunity within AEDC, accusing the company of deceit in its dealings with both staff and customers.
He also criticised the management’s alleged plan to sack some workers, including those who have spent less than three years with the company.
The protest took place at the AEDC headquarters in Abuja, where Ajaero further condemned the electricity band classification system, arguing that it disproportionately favours the privileged in society. He claimed that a large percentage of AEDC customers placed on Band A are not receiving the expected level of electricity supply.
He also decried what he described as the continued exploitation of both customers and staff by the company.
Other grievances listed by the union include delays in staff promotions, instances where workers have reportedly not been promoted for over 16 years, the casualisation of labour, and the arbitrary dismissal of employees.
