PRESS RELEASE

Workers Must Break Their Silence and Confront APC’s Tinubu Regime: Demand Living Wages and End Anti-People Policies

The tragic deaths of at least 70 Nigerians within a week during stampedes for free food are a grim testament to the devastating impact of the anti-people policies of the APC-led Tinubu government. These deaths are not mere accidents—they are the direct consequence of a government that has pushed millions into desperation while implementing neoliberal economic policies that prioritize the interests of the elite over the welfare of ordinary citizens.

The corrupt capitalist policies of the Tinubu administration have transformed Nigeria—once an oil-rich nation—into a “republic of palliatives,” where millions of people now depend on sporadic handouts to survive. The basic necessities of life, once affordable to many, have become unattainable luxuries. As a result, the sight of crowds scrambling for food or cash handouts has become commonplace, often ending in deadly stampedes.

A Nation Drowning in Economic Misery

The Tinubu government’s decision to implement the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank-prescribed neoliberal policies—such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira—has plunged the Nigerian economy into chaos. These measures, touted as efforts to “shore up revenue,” have instead unleashed unprecedented inflation, skyrocketing the cost of living for already struggling Nigerians.

When Tinubu assumed office, the food inflation rate stood at 24.61%. In just 15 months, it has soared to a staggering 40%, driven by sharp increases in the price of fuel and essential commodities. The cost of petrol alone has risen by over 400%, a policy move that has rippled through every sector, leaving millions unable to meet their basic needs.

Rather than address the root causes of these economic hardships, the Tinubu government has resorted to repressing dissent. Protesters who dare to challenge these anti-people policies have faced brutal crackdowns through the use of police, the judiciary, and other state apparatuses. This approach not only stifles opposition but also demonstrates the government’s disregard for the growing struggles of ordinary Nigerians.

The Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) strongly condemns the Tinubu administration for its anti-people policies, which have deepened the suffering of the Nigerian masses and forced many families to rely on handouts from the same elites responsible for their plight. Instead of addressing the root causes of poverty and inequality, the government has perpetuated a system where resources meant for citizens are looted and diverted, only to be redistributed as palliatives in a charade of goodwill. This cycle of exploitation and performative charity underscores the corrupt nature of governance in Nigeria.

Tragic Stampedes Reflect the Dire Consequences

The recent stampedes across the country, which claimed the lives of dozens of Nigerians, paint a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis fueled by government failures. In Ibadan, 35 children tragically died in a desperate struggle for a plate of food and ₦5,000 cash. Similar tragedies unfolded in Abuja, where 10 lives were lost, and in Anambra, where 29 people died—all within the same week.

These heartbreaking incidents are not isolated. Earlier this year in Bauchi, four women were killed and many injured in a stampede to collect ₦5,000. In Keffi, Nasarawa State, two students were crushed to death in a chaotic scramble for free bags of rice. One of the most shocking events occurred in Port Harcourt, where at least 31 people were killed at a church charity event organized by Kings Assembly Pentecostal Church. These repeated tragedies highlight the desperation of Nigerians living in a country where the minimum wage is grossly inadequate to meet even the most basic needs.

The Root Cause: Anti-People Policies

These appalling events are direct outcomes of the Tinubu government’s neoliberal policies, which prioritize the interests of the ruling class over the well-being of ordinary Nigerians. Policies such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira have led to skyrocketing inflation and an unbearable cost of living. While the ruling elites hoard wealth and resources, millions of Nigerians are left to scramble for crumbs, often at great personal risk.

The government’s failure to address systemic poverty and inequality has turned Nigeria into a nation dependent on palliatives. The so-called “good Samaritans” who distribute these handouts are often the same individuals and institutions that perpetuate the policies driving the masses into poverty. This hypocrisy must be exposed and challenged.

Workers Must break their Silence

The entire force of the working class must seize the initiative to provide leadership to the whole of the working masses and suffering a lot of the poor in the country. This trajectory of unending misery and unwarranted death to their numbers and members of their families cannot be allowed to continue. Already, we have witnessed the unwillingness of the trade union leaders to play this role, repeated calls for Action to NLC and TUC to take on the Tinubu-led APC-led government, which has no intention of reversing its anti-people policies has not yielded the needed result. While we would continue to insist and put pressure on the labour leaders to wake up and take the needed bold and decisive action to organise the working masses.

 It is becoming imperative for the working masses through other organised sections of the working class to begin to take the initiative to organise the working masses, students, and the unemployed to resist these neoliberal policies that have brought nothing but suffering to the majority.

The actions and protests of August 1 to 10 and October 1 protest actions are indications of what is possible if the needed unity is wielded in the party of all pro-labour organisations to continue to take the initiative to organise and unite all efforts on this account. The recent stampedes are a tragic reminder of the urgency of this struggle.

While such independent actions may not have the same bite or measure fully as what is possible if the NLC and TUC were willing to lead the actions, they will serve as part of the continuing effort of mobilisation and growing resistance to attack against democratic rights of workers to organise that is currently under attack as demonstrated by ongoing treason trials of Daniel Akande, Adaramoye Micheal and other Nine for providing leadership in the hunger protest in August. And will in the end also serve as pressure on the unions as workers can reference such independent actions of protest to force the trade unions to take action.

Inevitably the working class, either inside of the trade unions or outside of it, must begin to take steps to organise itself independently and politically challenge the corrupt capitalist system that prioritizes profit over human lives. Only through collective resistance and a united front can the working masses push back against these exploitative policies and demand a government that serves the people, not the elite. Furthermore, we urge Nigerians to organise and demand accountability from the government. It is only through collective resistance and mass mobilization that we can dismantle this exploitative system and build a Socialist society that prioritizes the welfare of the people over the greed of the few. These tragedies must serve as a wake-up call to all Nigerians: the time to fight for systemic change is now.

Signed

AJ Dagga Tolar

General Secretary, MSA.