SPN Rejects Trump’s Threat of Military Action and Tinubu’s Hollow Nationalist Rhetoric!
Widespread banditry, terrorism, and social unrest are direct consequences of failure of capitalism and pro-capitalist policies of successive governments
For united, non-sectarian, multi-ethnic, multi-religion and democratically run defense committees in communities
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) strongly condemns the US President Donald Trump’s recent threat of a military action in Nigeria and equally rejects President Bola Tinubu’s hollow nationalist rhetoric, which serves only to conceal the monumental failures of his pro-capitalist administration in addressing the insecurity facing the country and safeguarding lives. To us in the SPN, both Trump’s imperialist posturing and Tinubu’s false patriotism represent two sides of the same capitalist coin—both committed to the continued domination and exploitation of Nigeria’s working people and collective resources by local and foreign capitalists. We insist that the Nigerian working masses must not be drawn into supporting any faction of any capitalist ruling class, either local or foreign. Our allegiance must remain firmly with the collective struggle for liberation, justice, and socialism as working people of Nigeria rather than being divided among ourselves.
Donald Trump’s threat to invade Nigeria is premised on the bid to stop killings of Christians in northern part of Nigeria, an attempt to appease his evangelical support base at home. There should be no illusions that Trump wants ‘peace’ . On the contrary, Trump shows complete hypocrisy by his silence over the slaughter now taking place in Sudan, a country with a mixed Muslim-Christian population. For us in the SPN, every life lost through criminality (banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, violence etc) or through social-economic crises (lack of quality healthcare, bad road, hunger, homelessness, poverty etc.,) is regrettable, condemnable and avoidable. We condemn the killing of Christians, Muslims, people of other religions and non-religious people, and also the failure of the Tinubu administration and past governments to end the killings. We demand an end to all sectarian and criminal violence and killings across the country. The failure of the capitalist system and the capitalist ruling elites are responsible for growing socio-economic crises and violence in Nigeria and globally.
At the heart of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity—including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and communal conflict lies in the decades-long imposition of anti-poor, pro-capitalist policies by successive governments. These policies have destroyed industries, thrown millions into unemployment, and condemned the vast majority of Nigerians to live in poverty, while a handful of corrupt capitalist elites continue to accumulate obscene wealth. As a result, basic necessities such as food, education, jobs, healthcare, and housing have become unaffordable luxuries for most citizens while access to arable land and water have become a source of another battle between different contending social forces due to climate change and lack of planning. No amount of military force, foreign intervention, or hollow patriotic speeches can solve this deepening socio-economic crisis without addressing its root cause, which is the exploitative capitalist system.
The SPN therefore rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any attempt by any imperialist power to interfere in Nigeria’s internal affairs under the deceptive pretext of “restoring order”, protecting Christians or “protecting democracy.” History has shown that such interventions only bring chaos and destruction, as witnessed in Iraq, Libya, and other countries that have been victims of imperialist aggression. Equally, we denounce President Tinubu’s false nationalism, which represents nothing more than an attempt to rally the masses behind a crumbling regime that continues to impose anti-people policies, deepen inequality, and silence dissent. As far as we are concerned the working masses are not obliged to defend a corrupt and exploitative capitalist state, but to fight for the genuine liberation from poverty, oppression, and injustice.
The SPN firmly believes that only through the conscious organization and mobilization of the working class and oppressed Nigerians can Nigeria achieve genuine independence, peace, and development. We call for the setting up of non-sectarian multi-ethnic, multi-religion and democratically controlled community defense committees, which could bear arms, if necessary, as an effective and united way to respond to sectarian and criminal violence.
The SPN calls on Nigerian workers, trade unions, youth, students, and community organizations to unite and build a strong movement against both imperialist threats and the exploitative policies of the local thieving ruling class in Nigeria. The working masses must organize independently of all capitalist politicians and their political parties in order to build a mass movement rooted in collective struggle, solidarity and socialist ideas. Such a movement must seek to replace the current system of greed and corruption with a socialist order that guarantees decent and secure jobs, free and quality education, universal healthcare, affordable housing, and the democratic control and management of Nigeria’s wealth by the working people themselves.
Furthermore, this struggle must be linked to a wider international movement of the working people for solidarity. We urge Nigerians in the diaspora and the working class worldwide to stand with Nigerian workers and youth in opposing imperialist invasion, exploitation, and the growing assault on democratic rights. The struggle of the Nigerian working class is part of the worldwide fight against global capitalism and for a new socialist world founded on equality, peace, and collective prosperity.
Abiodun Bamigboye
Acting National Chairperson
Chinedu Bosah
National Secretary
Email: [email protected]