Hundreds have been arrested following huge anti-poverty protests, which have rocked Nigeria. A Nigerian socialist discusses the government’s repression

The #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria may have ended, but the government’s response continues to cast a long shadow. Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promises of dialogue during a live broadcast, his administration swiftly shifted to suppression, arresting hundreds of protesters, including minors, on charges as severe as terrorism, treason, and felony.

The protest was not the result of a sudden, isolated incident but a reaction to the unbearable economic conditions imposed by the government’s adoption of IMF and World Bank-backed neoliberal policies. The removal of fuel subsidies, devaluation of the naira, and hikes in tariffs have plunged the nation into hard times and despair. By July 2024, inflation had reached a staggering rate of 34.2%, and the rate of unemployment continues to rise. Even those fortunate enough to have jobs struggle to provide their families with basic necessities.

The government’s response has not been to address these concerns but rather to silence those who dared to voice them. Instead of yielding to the cries of hungry Nigerians, the government has turned its coercive powers against them. The police and state security services have been deployed to suppress dissent, with several comrades on the left being detained, and their properties seized.

A bookshop in the Nigerian Labour Congress’s (NLC) headquarters was ransacked. This raid was not only an attempt to intimidate trade unions but also a ploy to fabricate evidence that the protests were orchestrated by criminal elements and foreign mercenaries, rather than being the organic, grassroots movements they are.

The government’s apologists have begun to chant ‘treason’ at every turn, especially after some protesters in Northern Nigeria hoisted the Russian flag during demonstrations. This act has been interpreted as a subtle identification with the military regimes in the Sahel region, which are battling against French and U.S. imperialism, supported by Russian influence. It is also a reflection of the deep disillusionment with a ‘democracy’ that has become so degenerate and decrepit that some are now calling for a military coup to replace civilian rule.

However, we reject the notion that military intervention is the solution to Nigeria’s problems. Our struggle is not for the replacement of one authoritarian regime with another, but for the emancipation of working Nigerians. We envision a socialist society where power is in the hands of the people, where the economy serves the needs of the many, not the few, and where social justice, equality, and human dignity are the cornerstones of our national life.

We demand the immediate release of our comrades, and all Nigerians held unjustly by the government. The repression must end, and the government must heed the demands of the people it claims to serve. The struggle for a better Nigeria is not just the struggle of the few; it is the struggle of every Nigerian who dreams of a just and equitable society. We will not be silenced, and we will not rest until our demands are met.