The Federal Workers Forum has announced a solidarity protest scheduled for Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, to demand the immediate withdrawal of charges against its Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group condemned what it described as a growing clampdown on freedom of speech and activism in Nigeria. It said the protest would mobilise activists, labour advocates, and human rights organisations from across the country.
“All roads lead to the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on December 4, 2025, in solidarity with Comrade Andrew Emelieze,” the statement read. The Forum insisted that Emelieze’s arrest and ongoing prosecution for leading a peaceful protest amounted to an attack on civil liberties.
It demanded that the federal government and the Department of State Services (DSS) immediately drop all charges, describing Emelieze as a committed advocate for workers’ welfare. The activist was first detained earlier in the year, released, and later rearrested on July 4, 2025, before regaining his freedom.
The Forum said the repeated harassment of Emelieze was an attempt to silence legitimate agitation for workers’ rights and called on authorities to respect constitutional freedoms. It also reiterated its calls for the government to fulfill outstanding obligations to labour unions.
