Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole's Victory: Labour Should Build Radical Labour Party Now

Kola Ibrahim

On Thursday, 20th March, 2008 , the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Benin , after over nine months of legal tussle, gave an overwhelming victory to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). This victory is definitely a victory for the toiling and working masses of not only Edo State but of Nigeria who have been looking for a political alternative to the rotten capitalist politicians. It should be noted that the emergence of and popularity enjoyed by Adams Oshiomhole cannot be divorced from the struggle of the Nigerian working masses for good governance which resulted in seven general strikes against the Obasanjo’s anti-poor, neo-liberal government. It should also be recalled that the period of the Tribunal sittings recorded massive movement of the radicalized workers and youth to show solidarity to the “People’s President”. However, this victory must be situated within correct political analysis so that the victory will not be romanticized and thus given a false impression to the masses of Nigeria . Oshiomhole’s victory is a product of the panicky state of the Nigerian ruling class. In an earlier write-up, titled “Presidential Tribunal’s Ruling: Imperative of a Working Class Alternative” published in the Daily Trust of 14th March, 2007, I had argued that “It can safely be inferred that judiciary is an instrument of the state to maintain the capitalist system. It can bow to public interest at times in order to build public confidence in the system, but it will be the most reactionary when mass movement are calling for a positive radical change. Karl Marx was correct in calling law as an instrument to safeguard the private property of the rich few who acquire their wealth through brazen exploitation. To have a blind confidence in the judiciary, as demonstrated by some progressive commentators is a product of shallow understanding of the state. ", the victory of Oshiomhole has again corroborated this assertion. It is a glaring fact that the judiciary was losing credibility after the Yar’Adua’s ruling which in all intent is a political judgment meant to save the system and the incumbent government. This has also made the Nigeria’s capitalist state to lose credibility despite the fact that a new government is in place – which may be fatal for the ruling class at a time of serious working class struggle against the state as they will look for political solution. But the Osihomhole’s case gave another opportunity for the Nigerian state to confer credibility on the system, otherwise the system will be put in serious jeopardy as there will be total distrust in the judicial system despite all attempt by the legal practitioners to defend their means of survival. Therefore, it can be safely said that, as much as the Benin ruling is a sound and brilliant judicial judgment, it is also a political judgment meant to save the fast-dwindling image of the Nigeria’s capitalist system. It will be funny for the judiciary, given the mass movement around Oshiomhole and the glaring facts depicting the ruthless and violent rigging of the Edo election by the PDP, to give a contrary ruling to the one given. Such ruling would have possibly led to mass anger and consequently a movement. This analysis does not however diminish the sound sense of professional judgment of the judges; but it must be realised that the judges are also human being who also response to social stimuli – they represent a stabilizing body for the system.

The Benin judgment is a contradiction in itself. The verdict is a victory for the masses' quest for a genuine leadership, but at the same time the verdict gives credibility to the fast fading capitalist system. Also, while the verdict gives credibility to the system, it also signify a new ray of hope for the masses to build a new political alternative to the rotten capitalist system as it forced out a concession from the ruling class. Therefore, it is will be ridiculous for labour leaders to limit the victory of Oshiomhole to a congratulatory statements alone. The contradiction must be exploited by the labour leadership if they are serious and sincere about defending the long-term interest of the common man which in all circumstance requires a political action beyond Edo State. If the labour leadership and Oshiomhole fail to utilize this contradiction on behalf of the working masses, the ruling class will not hesitate to take it back using the Appeal Court (which can water down or reverse the victory) when the masses would have gone to sleep and even frustrate the government if it eventually scale the legal hurdle. This is the kernel of this write-up. The current posture of the labour leadership in placing their hope on the Yar'Adua's electoral reform will only deprive the working masses of political alternative; it will create disillusionment forthe working masses when the government fail woefully to response tothe yearnings of the common man, as will be witnessed in the coming period. The reality is that Oshiomhole's ruling has given hope to the working masses that they can build a political alternative , it is incumbent on the labour leadership to make the necessary political inference.

Furthermore, the defeat of the ruling class inEdo State again reinforce the point that the capitalist ruling class of all shades and capitalism itself is being rejected by the working and toiling masses of the world - who unfortunately are finding no political alternative. From the United States (where the mass quest for change has taken the shine off Hillary Clinton (the earlier Democratic popular candidate) in favour of Barak Obama - who unfortunately represent the US imperialist capitalist class but with a vague populist slogans) to Britain where the new labour party - a former working class-based political party that has now become more bourgeois and conservative than the Tories - is fast losing popularity, as reflected in renewed militant industrial struggles and strikes; it is clear that the working masses are rejecting the bourgeois politics and their politicians, but there is no alternative.This is the lesson to be learnt by the labour bureaucrats in Nigeria from the recent Kenya crisis where the absence of working class alternative that could have rallied the working masses together against the divisive politics played by the major candidates led to bloodletting.

It is further vital to talk on the issue of platform used by Oshiomhole during the election and the appropriateness of contesting for governor rather than presidency. Some commentators had argued that if Oshiomhole had used a labour party structure, he would not have garnered the vote he got. but the same commentators, in their Machiavellian theory could not explain why a Mimiko in Ondo state garnered his massive votes in Labour party. The question is not whether Oshiomhole would win or not, but how a viable radical pan-Nigeria working class alternative could be given to the masses. It smacks of opportunism for Oshiomhole, who gained mass popularity through struggles of Nigerian working masses for change to abandon a political structure of labour, no matter the limitation of its leadership and programme, and settle for a purely bourgeois platform, in this case the Action Congress (AC), comprising many politicians who share no common interest with those he (Oshiomhole) led. It is a sign of sheer contempt for the working masses, and their independent actions. The action of Oshiomhole created an irony in which pro-establishment, and purely capitalist corrupt politicians, who have collectively contributed to the common ruin of the country, are contesting under labour party while a labour leader is contesting under a bourgeois structure! The question is not whether he will win but how sustainable will the contest be in the overall interest of the masses. If it is a question of contesting alone, then he should have rather contested under the ruling party and achieve his victory almost at no cost, since the rigging machine is vested with the latter.

Therefore, it is wrong for Oshiomhole to have thought of using a bourgeois structure to fight for working class interests. The capitalist politicians are no fools, they understand power and know how to use it. Oshiomhole's choice to contest for governorship post also show a level of desperation and lack of a clear idea of how to lead the masses. The issue is that Oshiomhole cannot resolve the crisis facing the Nigerian masses within the confine of Edo State, therefore, there is no point limiting the strength of the masses within Edo State. The view that Oshiomhole's case would have gone the way of the Atiku/Buhari if he had contested for presidency is begging the issues. The question is : would the election had gone the way it went if Oshiomhole had built the Labour Party and contested for presidency under its platform? To me, the answer is a capital NO because the working masses' participation would have been more radical and it will be "civil war" for the ruling party to rig election. Even, if they were (the ruling class) able to manipulate the vote, the consequent mass movement would have determine the fate of the political situation unlike the cautious reaction exhibited by the masses aftermath of the rigging spree, since they have little trust in the capitalist politicians and their parties. Even, despite the distrust in capitalist politicians, when the labour leadership called a half-hearted mass action against the rigging, there were responses by the masses. But ut was the same capitalist parties that were "rigged out" they tactically water down the struggle for legal "struggle", because they fear that continuous mass action can expand the political horizon of the masses who may ask more questions thanthe capitalist system can answer. Moreover, the so-called opposition capitalist parties did not inspire any confidence since, aside the fact that their presidential candidates (and the parties) stand for nothing new, states where these opposition parties hold sway, there is little or no difference with other states run by the ruling party.

Oshiomhole, if he continues in the bourgeois formation from which he had contested, he will have to subject himself to the whims and caprices of the ruling and reigning sharks in Action Congress (AC). But these politicians in AC, who have been sidelined from taking part in the sharing of national cake (patrimony) will definitely be savouring the new victory which will give them opportunity to get access to state power and resources which Edo State have in abundance. This will mean Oshiomhole handing over the state resources to the sharks in AC at the detriment of the working and toiling masses who have laboured for his victory. This will only further frustrate the masses of both Edo and Nigeria as a whole and make them to take to political indifference. Most of the politicians in AC in Edo State (and definitely Nigeria) mostly cross-overs from ruling party, as a result of power and money sharing disagreement and not based on fundamental issue of public interest. In fact, the most opportunistic among the PDP politicians are already moving to AC in Edo State with a view to have continued access to state resources. There is no way Oshiomhole can make a meaningful gain to the masses within the structure of AC. The party fully subscribes to neo-liberal capitalist policies of privatization, commercialization, liberalization, retrenchment, cut in social spending etc, which are the policies of the ruling national party, and which are meant to make the rich few richer at the expense of the teeming working but toiling majority. There are the policies that had ensured that despite hundreds of billions that had accrued to the purse of the country, only the rich few that had gain while the working masses are left in the lurch. These policies have been mouthed by leading lights of AC like Tinubu and Atiku. In fact, many of them (including Oshiomhole) has started eulogising Yar'Adua and the PDP government, yet the same government has not done a single thing for the common man neither has it turned back from the neo-liberal policies of the Obasanjo corrupt government. In February, 2008 alone, over N550 billion was realised from crude oil but yet there is nothing to show for it. All the policy reversals carried out by Yar'Adua (Refinery and Nitel Privatization) are not meant to stop privatization but to give the booty to share the national cake among various layers of the capitalist moneybags which explains why Transcorp, which mismanaged Nitel and sold its properties within ten months, was still given a certain share of the NITEL shares. The public and political struggles are still riddled with corruption while the same corrupt politicians who looted the nation's treasury are still the ones supporting and prodding the government )from the party to the legislature, bureaucracy, state and local government, etc). The same government that refused to utilise the nation's windfall, running to over $50 billion, found it comfortable to issue government bond to private banks (which store huge fund exploited from the nation's wealth in order to gain huge profit from government borrowing) at exorbitant interest rates - a case of using nation's wealth to satisfy the rich bank sharks.

This is the government being supported by Oshiomhole, the AC stalwarts and even the labour leaders.Oshiomhole and the labour leaders should realise that they cannot eat their cake and have it back. They cannot be praising the anti-poor government and still pretend to be opposition. It is playing the ostrich. If Oshiomhole is to make any meaning from the victory, he will have to break away from the bourgeois politics he has put himself in. In fact, his government can be strangulated by the federal government if he looks "too" radical. Therefore, he needs to build a national working class political platform that will transcend Edo State and will represent the whole working masses of Nigeria, a party that will be able to put pressure on the government at all level. This is the only party that can make difference In fact, Oshiomhole would have to rely on the independent movement of the masses to sustain his victory at the Appeal Court.

All this put a direct challenge before the labour leadership, which has claimed to be supporting Oshiomhole, to build the Labour Party as a radical, working class party. Though the Labour Party, which was set-up by some labour leaders had been given pro-establishment colouration (with clearly bourgeois politicians, who could not meet their aspirations in bourgeois corrupt parties, using it as a bargaining instrument for power while the labour leaders at the state level dissociate themselves - out of political collaboratoin with their state governments - from the party), it still has the potential to stand for the working masses if it is built by labour movement for that purpose. Building Labour Party will mean involving the working masses from the local to national level in how the party is run through democratic participation and control of the masses themselves without the interference of the moneybags. It will also mean that the party will stand against all pro-rich, neo-liberal ideas, that is it will stand for public ownership of the commanding height of the nation's resources (human, natural, material, industrial and monetary) which will provide the needed resources to massively fund, free and qualitative education and health care; cheap, efficient and environment-friendly transport (water, land, rail, etc) and communication system; job provision for all citizen, cheap, peasant friendly, mechanized and environment-friendly agriculture and industrial sector, among others. It is this kind of party that will appeal to the working masses of Nigeria. Such party will also serve as a political platform for the working and toiling masses in their daily struggles against the system which will build the status of the party as a pro-masses party. This is the only party that can defend Oshiomhole's victory. The example of Frederick Chiluba of Zambi who rose to power on the crest of the working masses' support but ended up as the most corrupt and anti-poor leader - when he decided to side with the rich few - is instructive for Oshiomhole and the labour leaders.

While the victory of Oshiomhole is a welcome development, unless he, along with the labour leadership build the Labour Party as a working class radical platform, he will never make the real change the masses are eager for. Thus, it is incumbent on the labour leadership to call a national summit of Labour, civil society and radical organizations summits to debate on how to enter the labour party and build it. Though, many labour leaders at state and sectoral levels have become the apron strigs of their various authorities, involvement of the rank-and-file workers and civil society in building the labour party can guide against opportunism. This is the real lesson of the Oshiomhole's victory.

Kola Ibrahim (kmarx4live@yahoo.com)
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria
P.o.Box 1319, GPO, Enuwa, Ile-Ife, Nigeria