Why the Working Class Must Reject False Alternatives and Build a Revolutionary Movement

By Abdullahi Bilal

For over two decades, Nigeria has been trapped in a vicious cycle of false hopes, broken promises, and deepening hardship. From the 16 years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the last 10 years under the All Progressives Congress (APC), the lives of ordinary Nigerians have steadily worsened, while a small elite enriched themselves at the expense of the masses. Today, as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emerges to present itself as a new political force, we must ask: What is truly new?

A closer look reveals that the ADC is nothing more than a new mask on the same rotten system.

Nigeria doesn’t need another elite coalition—it needs a revolutionary break from capitalism and landlordism. The solution does not lie in recycled politicians forming new alliances but in organising a working-class movement with a bold socialist program that puts people before profit.

The PDP Era (1999–2015): Growth for the Few, Poverty for the Many

The PDP came to power in 1999, riding a wave of optimism following the end of military rule. Nigerians hoped for development, democracy, and dignity. Instead, what followed was a 16-year spree of corruption, mismanagement, and rising inequality.

Economic Illusions

Under the PDP, Nigeria’s economy grew significantly—on paper. By 2014, it had overtaken South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $568 billion, up from about $46 billion in 1999. But this growth was driven largely by high oil prices and foreign investment in non-productive sectors like real estate and banking.

While a few individuals, mostly the politicians, became billionaires, poverty remained widespread. The government failed to diversify the economy, leaving it dangerously dependent on oil. Agriculture and manufacturing were neglected, and the supposed gains of economic growth never trickled down to the average Nigerian.

Institutionalized Corruption

The PDP era became synonymous with grand corruption. Some of the most notorious cases occurred during this period:

• Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Petroleum Minister, allegedly misappropriated over $2.5 billion through shady oil deals.
• The pension scam under Abdulrasheed Maina saw ₦24 billion stolen from retirees.
• Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, then CBN Governor, revealed that $20 billion in oil revenue was unaccounted for between 2012 and 2013.
• The Halliburton bribery scandal, involving top Nigerian officials during Obasanjo’s tenure, remains unresolved.

Despite these massive crimes, very few perpetrators were prosecuted, let alone convicted.

Neglect of the Masses

Education and healthcare were grossly underfunded. ASUU strikes became routine. Hospitals were ill-equipped. Youth unemployment hovered around 25% by 2014. Electricity remained unreliable. Millions lacked access to clean water, quality roads, and functional schools. The poor were told to “tighten their belts” while politicians bought mansions in Dubai and flew around in private jets.

The APC Era (2015–2025): From Change to Catastrophe

When APC was formed as a “rescue mission” from PDP’s failures, many Nigerians gave it a chance. Ten years later, it is clear: APC not only failed—it deepened the country’s crisis.

Economic Collapse

APC inherited oil price volatility and did nothing to shield the economy. Under Buhari and now Tinubu, inflation has skyrocketed:

• General inflation rose from 8.7% in 2015 to over 33% in 2024.
• Food inflation exceeded 40%, leaving millions hungry.
• Petrol prices surged from ₦87/litre in 2015 to over ₦900/litre in 2024 following subsidy removal.
• The naira collapsed from ₦216/$ in 2015 to between ₦1,500–₦1,600/$ in 2025—a 594% depreciation that wiped out savings and crippled businesses.

Debt Trap and Austerity

APC borrowed massively. Public debt ballooned from ₦12.6 trillion in 2015 to over ₦97 trillion in 2024—yet there is little to show for it. Worse still, debt servicing now consumes over 90% of federal revenue, leaving virtually nothing for education, healthcare, or infrastructure. Tinubu’s so-called economic “reforms”—subsidy removal, naira float, and regressive taxation—have plunged millions deeper into poverty. The World Bank now estimates that over 129 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor.

Broken Promises and Repression

APC promised jobs, but youth unemployment reached a staggering 42% by 2020. N-Power and other schemes were riddled with fraud and inconsistencies. The #EndSARS protest exposed the APC’s authoritarian instincts, with young Nigerians being killed, arrested, or disappeared by security forces.

Under Tinubu, dissent is criminalised. Journalists, labour leaders, and civil society activists are harassed, arrested, or silenced. Some are currently facing treason trials at the Federal High Court in Abuja for participating in the August 1, 2024, “End Bad Governance” protest.

Enter ADC: The Same Rotten Players in a New Costume

Amid growing disillusionment with the APC and PDP, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is now positioning itself as a “third force.” But who are the people behind ADC?

Recycled Politicians, Broken Promises

Far from being new, ADC is stacked with the same old faces:

• Ralph Nwosu – Long-time National Chairman with close ties to Obasanjo and the political establishment. Under his leadership, ADC has become a haven for defectors.
• Rauf Aregbesola – Former APC chieftain and Osun State governor, now posturing as an ADC reformist. He slashed workers’ wages and privatized public services.
• David Mark – Former PDP Senate President and part of the elite that defended the status quo, now rebranding under ADC.
• Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and others – While not officially in ADC, they and their allies are flirting with “third force” coalitions to regain political relevance.

ADC is not a movement. It is a refuge for political entrepreneurs seeking a new platform after exhausting their credibility in PDP and APC.

Back to Square One: Why Another Coalition Is Not the Solution

Let’s not forget: APC was also a coalition. In 2013, parties like ACN, CPC, ANPP, and a faction of APGA merged to defeat the PDP. Nigerians were told that APC was the “progressive alternative.” Ten years later, Nigeria is worse off.

Now we are told ADC will be different? It’s a scam.

The political elite simply move from one party to another, changing names but not character. They do not represent the interests of workers, students, traders, farmers, or the urban poor. They represent capital—local and foreign—and defend those who profit from Nigeria’s underdevelopment.

The Real Alternative: A Revolutionary Break with Capitalism

The fundamental problem is not just bad leadership—it is the system itself: capitalism. A system where the needs of the people are subordinated to the profits of a few.

In this system:

• Land is owned by the rich, while the poor are evicted and displaced, as witnessed in Abuja under Wike.
• Oil wealth is exported, while local communities live in darkness and poverty.
• Education and healthcare are luxuries for the rich.
• Inflation is used to protect investor profits, not to feed hungry mouths.

No elite party—ADC, APC, or PDP—will dismantle this system. Nigeria needs a clean break. A socialist alternative rooted in the working class is the only path forward.

What Socialism Offers

1. Nationalize key industries (oil, power, transport, banks) under democratic workers’ control to fund public investment.
2. Free, quality education and healthcare, funded through progressive taxation on wealth.
3. Public housing and land reform to end homelessness and landlordism.
4. Massive job creation through public works, tech hubs, and green infrastructure.
5. People’s assemblies in workplaces, schools, and communities to control budgeting and policy.
6. Cancel illegitimate debts that drain the economy and enforce dependence.

This is not utopia—it’s a necessity. From different parts of the World, working people are organising to take back control from capitalist elites. We must do the same.

Tying It to Today’s Crisis

As we speak, Nigeria is in deep agony:

• Millions can’t afford transport or food.
• Hospitals are death traps.
• The ₦70,000 minimum wage is below the survival level, and some states still pay the outdated ₦30,000.
• In the FCT, workers are owed three months’ salaries, and primary schools have been on strike.
• A bag of rice now costs over ₦80,000 more than the minimum wage.
• Students are forced out of university due to tuition hikes and crumbling facilities.
• Labour is fragmented, and protests are violently repressed.

Meanwhile, the same elites are trying to sell ADC as the solution.

The Time Has Come to Organise the Working Class

The 16 years of PDP and 10 years of APC were years of betrayal and suffering. Now, ADC wants to drag us through the same fire, with different packaging.

But history has taught us that no party of the elite will liberate the oppressed.

The way forward is not another coalition of former governors, senators, and career politicians. It lies in building a mass working-class party rooted in everyday struggles—labour unions, student groups, feminist collectives, and peasant movements.

We must reject capitalism, feudal landlordism, and imperial domination. We must build socialism from below—a system where human life matters more than profit and where power belongs to the people, not party financiers.