The Nigerian ruling class is famous for its levels of corruption and
incompetence. What is even more striking is the way it was created. The irony of
the situation in Nigeria is that the working class came into being long before
the “ruling class”. This was due to the colonial domination on the part of
British imperialism. Here a Nigerian Marxist looks at this apparent
contradiction.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (the main trade union federation in Nigeria) has
been under pressure to launch its own party. The leaders of the NLC have
unfortunately always run after the coat-tails of Obasanjo's PDP. Earlier this
year some elements within the NLC did indeed launch a party, the PSD (Party for
Social Democracy). But they did so without really doing anything to seriously
publicise the party and take it to the workers. The NLC was not seen to be
officially backing it. This led to its disastrous electoral results earlier this
year. Here we publish an article from the Workers' Alternative on the party's
programme.
In May Obasanjo, the President of Nigeria, imposed a state of emergency on
Plateau State, removing the local state governor. The measures were taken
after serious ethnic conflicts erupted in the area, but behind all this lies
a more sinister agenda. The central government is preparing the ground for
more bonapartist measures, that are ultimately aimed against the labour
movement.