Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

RELEASE OMOYELE SOWORE AND ALL OTHER POLITICALLY-DETAINED ACTIVISTS NOW

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) condemns in strongest terms the continued detention of Omoyele Sowore by the DSS despite a court order and having fulfilled the bail conditions. We hereby demand the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore alongside Olawale Adebayo (Mandate), who has been detained since August 5 RevolutionNow protest, Agba Jalingo who has been detained in Cross River since August 23, 2019 and charged on trumped-up treason at the instance of the Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade for his writings and social media post that were critical of the state governor and other politically-detained persons.

We hold that the allegation brought forward by the DSS that Sowore “insulted the president” as a justification for his detention indicates a descent of Nigeria’s politics into dictatorship which must be resisted by the working masses.

The incessant attacks on democratic rights, unlawful arrest and detention of activists and journalists as well as unlawful dismissal of staff activists and killing or rustication of students’ leaders and ban of unions all bear sharp resemblance to 1984 when Buhari was in power as a military dictator. Unless challenged, this method of repression will be directed at the wider labour movement.

Therefore to forestall the further development of the Buhari government into a full-scale dictatorship, we call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC) to also condemn continuous incarceration of Sowore, Mandate, Agba Jalingo and others, and to be prepared to spearhead a national campaign involving protests to fight for their release and respect for democratic rights.

Rather than harassment and attack on democratic rights of RevolutionNow protesters, we call on Buhari government to meet the demands of the protesters for implementation of a living minimum wage, proper funding of the education sector, decent jobs amongst other progressive demands. However, if Buhari government is unable to meet these basic demands it would be because of the anti-poor, iniquitous capitalist program and philosophy of the government like all its predecessors.

Therefore, while we in the SPN are critical of the manner of organizing of the RevolutionNow protests, we affirm the need for a socialist revolution as the only way to address the present crisis in all sectors of our economy including the basic demands of RevolutionNow protest

We believe that only presenting a socialist alternative to the poverty, mass illiteracy, social crises, insecurity and frustrations obtainable under Nigerian capitalism, alongside the building of a mass workers political party can ensure the mobilisation of the mass of the working people around issues that directly affect them and through that create the basis for the coming to power of a workers-led government based on public ownership of the key sectors of the economy under workers’ democratic control and management.

Abiodun Bamigboye
Acting National Chairperson

Chinedu Bosah
National Secretary

Blog: http://www.socialistpartyofnigeria.blogspot.com/

Email: [email protected]