Nigerian activists and politics: how serious?

Salihu Moh. Lukman

Former NLC President, Adams Oshiomhole

Sometimes in 2004, at an interactive session with Mr. Rodrigo de Rato, then visiting Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF), a member of President Obasanjo's economic team who was a Minister emphatically announced that the People Democratic Party was in government, "not to practice democracy but to defend democracy". This assertion was made against the background of opposition of Nigerians led by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against the federal government reform policy of deregulating the downstream petroleum sector. Apparently angered by NLC's viewpoint that the deregulation policy was informed by neo-liberal capitalist agenda of the IMF, the former Minister was reported to have told NLC that "If Labour feels concerned about some of these policies, let it go and form a communist party and form a government. But for this PDP-led government, we cannot be discussing every policy with everybody".

Realities may have changed, loyalties could have shifted and allegiances no longer the same, although ideological claims may still be retained by all the 2004 actors, including the former Minister. However, the message to NLC reflects the contemptuous disposition of public officials and politicians to the category of people referred to as activists. These are mainly leaders of civil society, trade unions, women, youths, persons with disability, non-governmental organisations, etc. They were at the centre of

To build an alternative political party platform: the question of capacity and other matters

BY JAYE GASKIA

Image of Nigerians protesting. Taken from ynaija.com

For quite some time now, and particularly since the announcement of the decision/intention to merge by the main opposition parties into a mega party with the proposed name – All Progressives Congress [APC]; there have been quite a lot of euphoria and near jubilant excitement within the ranks of emergent politically conscious youth and young activists and active citizens radicalized principally by the January Uprising of 2012 on
the one hand; as well as barely suppressed excitement on the part of activists and active citizens, whose politically radicalization predated the January Uprising, and many of whom can rightfully be considered veterans of the anti-military, human rights and pro-democracy [including pro-democratisation or deepening of democracy struggles] – that is those activists and active citizens that were involved in