29 years on,
lessons of June 12, 1993, and the 2023 general elections
Time to build a mass workers political alternative
Segun
Sango, a veteran fighter for working class rights and against the military
dictatorship, died on May 24, 2022. He was one of the first to correctly analysed,
from a left perspective and with political clarity, the details of mass movement
that followed the annulment of June 12, 1993, elections.
It's been
twenty-nine years since the events of June 12 elections, which were marked by mass
strikes and protests. Nigerian working masses, civil society groups , trade unions and youth protested
against the annulment of the election by the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida regime.
Movement against
the annulment
June 12 has consequently
been declared ‘Democracy Day’ (until 2018 it was May 29), and many awards were
given to pro-democracy figures.
Moshood Basorun Abiola, a capitalist politician and close friend of
the top military officers, stood as the Presidential Candidate of the Social
Democratic Party (SDP) and won the
elections against Bashiru Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). The
result was not the one the regime was hoping for, so they decided to annul the
elections with the excuse of “irregularities”. MKO Abiola was later arrested and
detained for fighting to implement the June 12 election results, and later died
in detention.
Many
Nigerians, especially from the southern part of Nigeria, still want Abiola officially
declared winner of the June 12, 1993 election and recognised as a former
president. But beyond all of this, the events that followed the annulment of
the election changed Nigeria forever. The protests sent a signal to Ibrahim
Badamosi Babangida regime that time was up for him. He later stepped aside and
handed over power to an interim government headed by Enerst Shonekan. Few
months later, another military coup occurred and Sani Abacha came to power with
more draconian policies and abuse of human rights. Successive governments since have continued
anti poor policies of privatization and commercialization.
As Marxists
we had no illusion in Abiola, but events of the past bring back memories of how
we can organize and fight back to counter Nigeria’s present socio-economic
crisis. We support all struggles of working class in communities, work places
and strive to build a formidable union that can defend the interests of the
oppressed. But we must also try to put in perspective historic events, because
right wing bourgeois historians do not mention the long strikes organised by
the petroleum workers. Under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and
Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), they went on strike to demand June 12 election
results recognition and the swearing in of Abiola as duly elected president.
This led to the arrest and detention of the leaders of the petroleum workers,
including Frank Kokori and Wariebe Agamene, while their families were
terrorized and brutalized by the military. But it was not only the strike
leaders. Ordinary people were not spared in the brutal repression of the military
regime. Workers, students, youth and the unemployed were killed in the streets
of Lagos and other cities across Nigeria under the orders of General Ibrahim
Badamosi Babangida and later General Sani Abacha. Press freedom was also persistently
and continuously violated with media outlets shut down and many journalists
brutalized and jailed. Some people lived to tell the story but many disappeared
and until today their whereabouts are unknown.
Nigerian
working masses had illusions that the return to civilian rule in the year 1999
would mark the beginning of better life and a rise in living standards, leaving
behind the horrific experience of the military dictatorship. But the current civilian
regime, apart from the removal of direct military dictatorship and their
cohorts, has failed to meet the aspirations and hopes of ordinary working-class
people and youth. The limited democratic rights that come with civilian rule
have been violently attacked, as successive civilian governments adopt more authoritarian
and despotic methods. The reliance on security forces to enforce their rules and
anti-people economic policies is more and more evident. Up till now many
activists are under attacks and many workers are not allowed to unionize. Peaceful
protests are repressed and most time protesters are arrested and detained.
Death
trap
As we write today,
Nigeria has been divided and has become a death trap for millions of people.
The present Buhari regime hasn’t been able to resolve any of the crises faced
by Nigerian capitalism. The rate of inflation has increased from 9% in 2015 to almost
17% in April 2022.
The Buhari
regime is a continuation of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) regime, like the
GEJ itself was a continuation of the previous capitalist regimes. The huge
problems faced by Nigeria today are as a result of a long period of neoliberal
and neocolonial policies. The exploitative economic policies of the regime have
increased joblessness. As we write, the unemployment rate is at 33 percent. This
is definitely one of the reasons why the rate of insecurity is high and
kidnapping, banditry, etc are rising fast.
The Academic
Staff Union of University (ASUU) has been on strike since February because of
the government’s refusal to implement their just demands. Other unions have
also launched separate industrial actions to press home their demands for
better working conditions for their members, University autonomy and increased
funding for public universities. The Research Institutions across the country have
also been on strike since October 2021.
Security of
ordinary people has been compromised by the Nigerian ruling class. Things has
moved from bad to worse. About 3,000 civilians were killed by armed bandits in
2021. This is an increase of over 250 percent compared to 2020. Since January
2022, more than 250 people have been killed in attacks by armed bandits in
Zamfara State. On April 10, more than 100 people were killed in attacks on
several communities in the Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State. The
violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. On June 5, 2022. a
Catholic church in Owo, Ondo state was attacked by an unidentified group of
armed men who killed about 70 people while scores of people were injured. From
South to North, security has collapsed and killings continue unstopped. We have
called for community based democratic control security system to end continued
mass killings and insecurity.
Corruption
The government
is trying to make excuses of not having funds to meet the demands of the unions
and for social programs. These are just lies. Nigeria’s accountant-general Ahmed
Idris was arrested recently by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
over alleged N80 billion fraud. According to the report, he raked off the funds
through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family
members and close associates, like in many other corruption cases. Corruption
is endemic in Nigerian capitalism, and it shows that unless we fight for a
socialist revolution corruption cannot be eliminated. Nigeria is ranked 154 out
of 180 countries on the global Corruption Perception Index.
Just
recently, the National Council of State has granted state pardon to former governors
Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba States respectively, who
are serving terms in jail for corruption.
The
governors were among 159 prisoners pardoned by the Council at a meeting
presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari. Among the beneficiaries are a
former military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime, Tajudeen
Olanrewaju, an army lieutenant colonel, Akiyode, who was an aide of former
deputy to General Abacha, Oladipo Diya and all the junior officers jailed over
the 1990 abortive Gideon Orkar coup. It’s ridiculous that former governors and
ministers that looted their state resources and public money while in office
were pardoned without even paying back anything. This shows that the regime’s
fight against corruption is against only the opposition party’s and perceived enemy
of the regime.
There was massive
corruption during the primaries of the ruling parties. According to reports,
delegates were paid about $5,000 to $35,000 from aspirant to secure their party
ticket to be able to stand as party candidate incoming general elections. So
far, the former vice president Atiku Abubakar won the People Democratic Party
(PDP) presidential ticket and former governor of Lagos state Bola Tinubu won
the ruling of All Progressive Congress (APC) ticket. This serves to show how
the regrouping of the ruling class continues despite the growing opposition
from below. From the East to the West, from the North to the South, ordinary
Nigerians face a lack of basic security and decent living standards. They want
to see their wealth spent to improve welfare. But the present political vicious
cycle cannot offer that prospect, that’s why we are where we are.
2023
general elections
As we move
to the 2023 general elections, the Left is in disarray and not sure of having a
candidate or providing a clear alternative. With the deregistration of the
Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and other political parties there’s an attempt
by the ruling class and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
close the political space for parties that stand with the people.
We follow the
events around the victory of Omoyel Sowore as the National Chairman of the
Africa Action Congress (AAC). For three years now the state has used an agent,
usurper and impostor to take over this party. Omoyele Sowore has won the AAC presidential
ticket and now it’s in his hand to show if he is ready to fight against neoliberalism
and privatizations in order to win workers to his side. We have argued many
times that privatizations are fraudulent, that neoliberal policies destroy the
economy and are the reason why we are where we are today. Even the ruling vice
president of Nigeria openly agreed that
privatization of power sector has failed.
As things stand, we will continue to campaign for public ownership of the commanding
heights of the economy and under democratic control of the working people.
There is an effort
going on with the aim to reclaim the Labour Party. The Trade Union Congress and
the Nigeria Labour Congress have directed their members to join the Labour
Party. About 50,000 workers have registered across states. Meanwhile, the
Federal Government and the Kogi State Government have directed workers to stay
away from politics. Other State Governments are subtly discouraging workers
from registering as members of the Labour Party. These are features of a neocolonial
state, where workers are seen as just voters, mere commentators and
speculators. Workers have the right to belong to political parties and even
stand in elections, and we should uphold that basic democratic right.
The Labour
Party was formed by trade union leaders and other left forces in 1989. Though
it wasn’t registered and wasn’t allowed to participate in 1993 elections. but
was later hijacked by reactionary forces. It became a dumping ground for
candidates rejected by the bourgeois parties or those who couldn’t clinch the
ticket of their parties. While we appreciate the genuine intentions of some on
the trade unions and the Left that have joined the Labour Party, we want to
note that Peter Obi, a former governor and a capitalist politician, has gotten
the LP presidential ticket. He stood under no social democratic programme. There
is no doubt that we need to understand that there is some support for Peter Obi
in the South East of the country, because some people want to see a president
coming from the South. But we have also argued that rotational presidency won’t
solve Nigeria’s problems, because the ruling class that Peter Obi, Atiku and
their likes belong to remain united against ordinary people.
Radical policies needed
As Marxists, we support radical programs to end the suffering of ordinary people and we're are ready to work with genuine trade union leaders that want to build the Labour Party as true party of ordinary people and workers. But elections will always be a means to an end, not an end in itself. All of the chorus around reclaiming Labour Party must not be around 2023 general elections. We must work towards a united front of all the Left forces, the movements and the trade unions, to prepare for the period after the 2023 general elections. It is certain that more struggles will break out because both the APC and PDP presidential candidates are part of those who destroyed Nigeria through massive looting of public resources. It is also sure that they will all use money inducement, vote buying and gerrymandering to outsmart each other to get power in 2023.
The struggle for political power in a neocolonial country requires mass mobilisation beyond yearly usual events. We need a mass campaign for living wages, democratic control of our resources, to fight against the removal of the minimum wage from exclusive legislative list, we need more resources for health care, education, building houses and road construction through public funds, we need workers control and management of all public works without contractors, and jobs for all the unemployed. This programme, if popularized in a mass campaign in the streets by all the progressive forces, trade unions, human rights activists and socialists will have a mass appeal on workers and youth. Any government that come to power on basis of neo liberalism and capitalism will be worse than the previous ones. We need to use that fact in order to build support for socialist policies. That is why we are committed to building a mass worker political alternative, while we of course do not close our eyes to developments in the Africa Action Congress (AAC) and the Labour Party (LP). We in the Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM) are committed to the struggle for a socialist Nigeria in a Socialist Confederation of Africa. Join us in our struggle!
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