The Naija Marxists

5. 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑵𝑰𝑮𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑵 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻 𝑯𝑨𝑺 𝑨 𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀, 𝑨 𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑨 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑼𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑹𝑶𝑳𝑬. Its present weakness does not erase that history. Rather, it shows why independent political organisation and theoretical clarity remain essential, particularly for its revolutionary wing. The left is NOT a Western invention. It is part of Nigeria's own history of resistance, from colonialism to the struggles of workers, students and ordinary Nigerians today. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘪𝘫𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢, 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘵. If that is where you stand too, join us!✊ thenaijamarxists.org/signup

4. 𝑾𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑬 𝑰𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑵𝑰𝑮𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑵 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻 𝑻𝑶𝑫𝑨𝒀? The Nigerian left is weaker and more fragmented than it once was, but it has not disappeared. Military repression played a part, but so did failures within the left itself. Sections of the revolutionary left abandoned independent class politics to work within bourgeois nationalist and pro-democracy movements, treating the removal of military rulers or the achievement of civilian government as ends in themselves. Others reduced politics to immediate bread-and-butter demands, separating those struggles from the revolutionary transformation of society. Without theoretical clarity and the unity of theory and practice, the left repeatedly found itself fighting alongside the bourgeoisie without building the independent political power of the working class. Yet the left survives in trade unions, student organisations, feminist movements, socialist groups and community campaigns. What is largely absent from Nigeria's dominant political parties is any meaningful disagreement over the economic system. The APC and PDP quarrel over who governs, but both broadly accept privatisation, market-led development and the dominance of domestic and foreign capital. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 “𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴”, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦: 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮? A policy that enriches investors may impoverish workers. A government can fight corruption while protecting the very class relations that reproduce inequality.

3. 𝑵𝑰𝑮𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑨 𝑯𝑨𝑺 𝑨𝑳𝑾𝑨𝒀𝑺 𝑯𝑨𝑫 𝑨 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻 The Nigerian left did not begin with social media, NGOs or young people reading Western political theory. It emerged from the struggles of Nigerian workers, students and ordinary people against colonial rule and exploitation. In 1945, Nigerian workers organised a nationwide general strike against British colonial rule, demanding better wages and living conditions. The Zikist Movement, radical youth organisations and trade unionists connected the struggle for independence with demands for social justice and an end to colonial domination. After independence, the left continued organising. The Socialist Workers and Farmers Party emerged in 1963, while the 1964 general strike demonstrated the power of organised labour. Students and progressive organisations also opposed the Anglo-Nigerian Defence Pact, demanding genuine independence from British military influence. Under military dictatorship, the left remained active despite repression. Trade unionists, students, socialists and pro-democracy activists challenged military rule, structural adjustment and attacks on workers. During the June 12 struggle, organisations such as the Campaign for Democracy helped mobilise Nigerians against dictatorship. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥.

2. 𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑫𝑶 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 𝑷𝑶𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑺 𝑴𝑬𝑨𝑵?💭 Simply put, the left⬅️ is the broad political current that challenges inequality, exploitation, oppression and existing structures of power. It fights for workers' rights, economic justice, democracy and a society organised around the needs of the majority. The right➡️, on the other hand, generally defends existing hierarchies, private property, established privileges and the interests of those who control wealth and political power. The left includes progressives, socialists, trade unionists, feminists, radical students, anti-colonial activists and pro-democracy campaigners who challenge inequality and oppression. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. Some seek reforms within the existing system, believing that better policies, stronger institutions and greater redistribution can improve people's lives. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵. For us, liberation requires a revolutionary transformation of society, with the working class taking control of the economy and the state. Nor is calling oneself progressive enough❌. A politician may condemn corruption while defending the very economic system that concentrates wealth and power in the hands of a few. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦.

1. 🧵#REMARX : 𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑫𝑶 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 𝑴𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑰𝑵 𝑷𝑶𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑺? Every election season, Nigerian politicians promise to fight corruption, remove bad leaders and bring change. Some even call themselves progressive. Yet after the elections, they implement the same policies as those they replaced, and sometimes even join the parties they previously condemned. This has led some Nigerians to argue that there is no left or right in Nigerian politics, only “what works”. Others ignorantly dismiss left-wing politics as a Western concept that has no place in Nigeria. But this ignores both what left-wing politics means and Nigeria's own history of political struggle.

Six years after #EndSARS, the questions raised by the movement remain unresolved! What did the protests reveal about the Nigerian state? Why did mass resistance fail to translate into lasting political power? And what must be done differently? In two articles, we examine the lessons of #EndSARS, the nature of state violence, and the necessity of revolutionary political organisation. Read both: thenaijamarxists.org/stateme… thenaijamarxists.org/analysi…