Nigeria: WHY ETHNIC POLITICS IS AN ABERRATION IN OUR MARCH TOWARDS LIBERATION

This article is from a Socialist Bulletin, a publication of Socialist Labor Nigeria (April 2023) and is very relevant to what is happening in the US with the dominance of identity politics as a substitute for class politics. This plays right in to the hands of our real enemy, the US capitalist class. Identity politics is a reactionary, divisive tactic supported by the ruling elite that undermines working class unity.  The issues facing all workers, including the most dire----climate catastrophe, but racism, sexism and other oppressive policies marginalized sections of our class face, cannot be resolved without working class unity.  Below is a PDF of the publication. RM

 

This issue contains another article along the same lines: The Importance of Class.

The author writes:

“In an attempt to capture imperialist relations in neocolonial African nations, many people use race, nationality and ethnic or tribal categories in their analysis of imperialism, democracy and national development. They do not see society in terms of classes and class struggles. They do not see the ruling class in neocolonial African nations as a major problem or the immediate enemy.”

 

 

WHY ETHNIC POLITICS IS AN ABERRATION IN OUR MARCH
TOWARDS LIBERATION

 

By Biodun Olumosu

Yoruba people from Ekiti area will say “igba olo bi orere” (life is not as straight forward as an unbend long road). Proverbs (in the Bible) also say that there’s time for everything. We can’t afford to play ethnic politics any more. The time for ethnic politics has gone into oblivion and has to be replaced with clear class politics.

History confirms that politics organised along ethnic or national lines was a service to imperialism and capitalist hegemony. The focus now should be on how to tackle the social, economic and political injustices that we all face. We should also look forward to how we can change all of this inequality along class lines, in solidarity with the oppressed and exploited on a global scale.

Whilst Politicians use the old tactics of the colonialists to divide us on ethnic grounds. Eth-
nicity becomes an instrument in their hands to be used to enhance their personal and group
interests when it’s favourable for them to do so. This amounts to an aberration that needs to
be resisted.

We have nothing in common with the corrupt elite of our ethnic group, state or nation.

In contrast, trades unions are based on the unity of the working class of many ethnic groups.

The common denominator amongst scholars of this particular area is that ethnic rivalry and competition is due to the dearth of adequate opportunities, resources and infrastructures. This means that populations compete in demanding for those necessities of life that are in short supply.

Ethnic associations used to exist to play the role of interest groups, like the trade unions were to play later in life, on a class basis. The changes required in these circumstances can better be achieved in the course of struggle put to the shoulder of the working class in the era of capitalism.

We have seen this being played out with our own eyes in the contemporary period with the 2012 rising of workers opposed to hike in the price of fuel and the #EndSARS agitation against police brutality in 2020. More recently we have had the Obidient movement and the Labour Party inculcating a mass movement in electoral politics, the first of its kind in Nigeria political history. In each of these cases, it was the united masses of many ethnic groups that united against their common corrupt elite.

Femi Falana says:
“Since the oppressed people are not involved in the diversionary politics of ethnicity and religion, the candidates of the ruling party and the opposition should be compelled to base their campaign on the crises of unemployment of young people, mass poverty, insecurity as well as lack of access to education, health and other social security”

See: https://www.thecable.ng/falana-to-politicians-stop-playing-the-ethnic-card-focus-on-addressing-voter-apathy

2socialistlabour.com.ng
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Download the PDF of Socialist Bulletin April 2023 here.