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(Being text of a press briefing by the Campaign for The Socialist Transformation of Nigeria [CAST Nigeria] 24/02/2023)
Introduction:
The Campaign for the Socialist Transformation of Nigeria (CAST-NIGERIA), is an initiative of The People's Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M), conceived to lay bare the failures and disastrous consequences of the capitalist system and its treasury looting and innately incompetent superintending capitalist ruling class; and thus concretely make the case for the Socialist alternative and boldly raise the banner of Socialism in Nigeria, at all times, and in particular through the cause of the 2023 general elections period. The Campaign was formally inaugurated and launched on the 3rd of October 2022.
Background:
The British Imperial power integrated Nigeria into the global capitalist system before political independence in 1960. After independence, the founding fathers (and mothers) continued the arrangement and ran a neocolonial capitalist economy, continuing into the present under the banner of neoliberalism. Under this arrangement, Nigeria essentially supplied raw materials in whatever form to the industrialized economies of Europe and North America.
This neocolonial status has not changed, rather it has become more enhanced, with Nigeria more firmly bound to global capitalism. Nigerian leaders, military and civilian, throughout the years, since independence, have conceptualized, formulated and implemented policies and programmes (embodied in various economic plans, including the most recent ones – the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan [ERGP) meant to fast-track growth and development and invariably improve the living standards of Nigerians.
There is no doubt that the efforts of the ruling class have created an elitist group that has joined them to reproduce, accumulate and enrich themselves at the expense of the majority of its citizens. The impact of these policies on the average Nigerian has been extremely marginal, to say the least. The consequence is that Nigeria has become one of the most unequal countries in the world.
The type and intensity of primitive capitalist accumulation in the country remain unprecedented, especially so after the discovery of petroleum, and as well during the various democratic experiments over the years. The accumulation process involved the looting of the commonwealth unabated.
An economy with so many natural, material and human resources can only boast of two-thirds of its citizens in multidimensional poverty, among other disturbing indices. The civilian government of 1999 came with the same desire of building a capitalist market economy. The different political parties touted policies and programmes meant to fast-track the economy. However, after almost 24 years, the economy remains backward, underdeveloped, and with millions of citizens in poverty. About 88 per cent of Nigerians do not have access to the necessities of life.
Another round of elections is around the corner and the existing political parties including the party in power, have rolled out their manifestoes indicating how their policies and programmes would reverse the worsening condition in the country. The government in power claims it has performed satisfactorily regarding the health of the economy, security, and corruption, among others.
Overall, however, even by conventional capitalist economic measures, the performance of the economy has been mixed, and in the long run, abysmally poor. The economic performance index (EPI) which stood at 77.3 per cent in 2008 dropped to 65.6 per cent in 2014 increased and averaged 70 per cent between 2017 and 2019.
By 2020, it dropped to 53 per cent. For an economy to perform above average, the score must be 80 per cent. For the entire period of 2008-2020, the performance of the Nigerian economy has been below average. The tension in the economy seems related to the performance of the economy based on its management along a capitalist pattern. As the economic performance declines with the rising misery index, the tension and insecurity appear to trend upwards.
All through the decades since the 1999 return to civil rule, the Nigerian economy has performed poorly using conventional economic indicators. The economy since the civilian experiment has been characterized by rising rates of unemployment, inflation, poverty incidence, debt, misery index, and hopelessness.
The leadership and their cohorts have been developing underdevelopment while growing stupendously rich and getting fattened on the proceeds of their light rapacious pillage of the commonwealth. It is thus clear that after 62 years of political independence, the capitalist system has made the overwhelming majority of Nigerians poorer and ever poorer, with the ruling class consciously and adamantly refusing to adhere to the provisions of chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Based on the performance of the economy since independence and particularly from 1999, the option for the Nigerian people is not between capitalism and socialism; but between socialist transformation and total collapse of the Nigerian economy and polity. The crisis facing Nigeria today is not only comprehensive, and all ramifying, but it is also existential in scope and scale.
This is why, TPAP-M, through the CAST Nigeria Campaign, has concluded that there is in reality no viable option on the ballot for ordinary Nigerians, the working people and toiling masses, in the 2023 general elections. This is why we are promoting CAST [Campaign For Socialist Transformation Of Nigeria], as the option that is not on the ballot.
Regardless, of the outcome of the 2023 general elections, the crisis of capitalism and neoliberalism is set to deepen, and with the united neoliberal conviction of the capitalist ruling class, the only option left for the ruling class is to shift the burden of the global capitalist crisis to the poor majority and impose more and more hardships on the working people and toiling masses.
The Current Situation Leading Up To The General Elections
In the course of the last year, and in particular, over the last few weeks, Nigeria has been thrown into a spiral of never-ending, and ever-deepening crises. This situation, precarious for the overwhelming majority of the working people and youth, continues to deteriorate and has become more alarmingly intense in recent weeks.
The increasingly unbearable cost of living crisis, aided by the endemic insecurity, is now being compounded by the contrived crisis of fuel and currency scarcity, which together are combining to erode the ability of ordinary citizens to make ends meet, feed themselves and their families, operate and run their businesses, and escape starvation and intolerable hardship.
Yet, it is important to make it clear that the current situation is the creation of the failure of the capitalist system in general, and of the failure of leadership of the Nigerian ruling class in particular. The current expression of the existential crisis, in the form of fuel scarcity and unaffordable energy costs, along with the inability to undertake even the most simple and basic of transactions due to scarcity of cash and the epileptic nature of service to power digital payment platforms, have been grossly compounded by the infighting within the ruling class, with each faction deploying the segments of the state they have some leverage over. This infighting can only be best described as a war among thieves.
The consequence of this political war, notwithstanding the embedded negotiations and horse-trading among the elites, has been the increased burden of hardships on the working people. But, where there's hardship and oppression, there will most likely also be resistance. This is why we understand the anger of the working people and youths and are in full support of unfolding acts of active mass resistance to the hardships imposed on the people by the ruling class.
All across Nigeria, the anger of the working people and youth is growing, and justifiably boiling over. We encourage the toiling masses and youth to continue to build up their resistance to hardships via consistent and solid organizing in communities and workplaces. The toiling masses and youth are beginning to take their destinies into their own hands.
We repeat our admonition that the resisters and the resistance must organise themselves, in workplaces, neighbourhoods, and Communities, in a manner that ensures their safety, and prevents and discourages the brutality of government/state response, and autonomously of the different factions of the ruling class.
The toiling masses, the working people, and the youth have the right to organise in their interests, under their banners, independent of the banners of the various ruling class parties and factions, and they have the right to organise in a manner that enables them to repel government/state repression and prevent brutality by the police and other agencies of repression.
In all of these, it is important to point out, and emphasise that the current crisis is a direct product of the failure of the capitalist system and that the outcome of the 2023 so-called General Elections will, in no way, make the resolution of the crisis possible, either in the short or in the long term.
In this regard, the upcoming elections, and the sensationalisation of mass misery being played out by the rival factional election campaigns of the various ruling class factions, are merely a contrived distraction, an attempt by the ruling class to deflect the rising popular anger, recast themselves as the saviours of the masses, through orchestrating token leadership change, from one gang of treasury looters to another gang of looters of the capitalist ruling class.
This is why we stand on the call for the masses and youth to be vigilant, to organise, to resist, and to use this opportunity and experience to prepare for the coming battles after the elections, and under the post-General Elections government.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, as we encourage the working people and youth to organize and resist in their interests, and under their banners; we unequivocally condemn the high-handed character of state response to the growing unrest and mass resistance which are continually forced on our people via inhuman economic and social policies.
We hold the state and its operatives, and indeed the ruling class as a whole, responsible for every fatality, and every harm or injury; and we must pledge ourselves to ensure that this impunity, this time, will not go unpunished.
We urge the working people, toiling masses, and the youth to exercise their agency during this period, and to acquire the autonomous capacity to act in, and defend their interests before, during and particularly, after the elections.
The confidence that we build now, will enhance our ability to confidently, and independently organise in the post-general election period, such that we are able and ready to challenge anti-people policies that are sure to be proposed and implemented by the incoming government, regardless of who emerges victorious from the general elections.
Organise Now! Mobilise Now!! Act Now!!!
Prof. Omotoye Olorode Comrade Jaye Gaskia
Chair, National Coordinator
CAST-NIGERIA Campaign Organisation CAST-NIGERIA Campaign organization
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