Buhari stood with the poor, resisted IMF and World bank pressure—Ex-NLC president Wabba

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Buhari Stood with the Poor, Resisted IMF and World Bank Pressure — Ex-NLC President Wabba

      Former NLC chairman, Ayuba Wabba and Former President, M.            Buhari

ABUJA — Former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Ayuba Wabba, has described the passing of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari as a great loss to Nigerian workers and the masses, remembering him as a genuinely pro-poor leader.

In a statement on Sunday, Wabba expressed shock over Buhari’s death, noting that his administration prioritized the welfare of ordinary Nigerians through policies rooted in empathy and support for the vulnerable.

“What began as a routine medical check in London sadly ended in the loss of a leader who consistently stood by the poor and the working class,” Wabba said.

He recalled that shortly after taking office in 2015, Buhari approved a $2.1 billion bailout to help financially distressed states clear salary and pension arrears. “He was truly concerned about workers’ suffering and once questioned governors on how they could sleep knowing their workers hadn’t been paid,” Wabba noted.

Again in 2017, Buhari released another round of bailout funds running into billions of naira to assist states with outstanding obligations. However, Wabba lamented that some governors misappropriated the funds rather than use them for workers’ welfare.

Highlighting Buhari’s contribution to the national minimum wage negotiations, Wabba revealed, “He proposed a figure even higher than the N30,000 that was eventually adopted. Sadly, many governors resisted the increase, limiting its impact.”

Wabba praised Buhari’s most defining policy stance as his refusal to remove fuel subsidies despite mounting pressure from global financial institutions. “Against intense lobbying by the IMF and World Bank, he chose not to hike fuel prices, insisting on protecting ordinary Nigerians,” Wabba stated.

He stressed that Buhari would be remembered for the tangible impact he made on workers, pensioners, and the poor. “Leaders are judged not by promises but by the lives they touch—and Buhari made a difference where it mattered most.”

Wabba concluded by praying for Buhari’s peaceful repose: “May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. My condolences go to the former First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, his children, the Buhari family, and his close associates.”