BY JAYE GASKIA
The Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M), established at the peoples alternative political summit (TPAPS) at the end of March 2021, is a coalition of individuals and organisations committed to the emergence of a mass workers party and the socialist transformation of Nigeria.
Since its foundation, the movement has adopted a National Program of Action to reach out to the working classes and toiling masses, and organise meetings with the people.
The movement has also plunged itself into intervening in the struggles of the working peoples – organising with the people who are fighting back and resisting exploitation and repression, and actively building solidarity and support for the struggles of the people.
One example is that the movement tracks and publishes an inventory of strikes and popular struggles – TPAP-M Strike & Protests Bulletin – each month.
Another example is that the movement not only issues statements of support and solidarity with working peoples who are on strike or fighting back, it also issues open letters calling for solidarity, while actively organising support for the struggles.
The Youth committee of TPAP-M has organised programs to engage with the #EndSARS protest, including organising a well attended symposium to mark one year since October 2020, and to draw-out the lessons. The symposium concluded that there was a need for active political struggles to challenge the ruling class for power, and also called for a campaign not only to achieve people centered policing reform, but to release and get justice for the more than 300 persons detained as a result of the #EndSARS protests and its commemoration.
The TPAP-M FCT chapter, has organised three meet the working peoples town hall meetings, drawing participants from across all the six area councils, and leveraging on the organisations of the working classes and toiling masses – including the FCT chapters of NUT (the teachers union), NULGE (local government workers), and FIWON (informal sector workers federation). Through the three Town Hall meetings (Abaji – Kwali; Gwagwalada – Kuje; and Bwari – AMAC); the FCT TPAP-M chapter was able to establish Interim Area Council Steering Committees for each of the six Area Councils.
Adamawa State Chapter of TPAP-M has also organised two similar Meet The Peoples Town Hall Meetings, while the Kogi state Chapter has organised one, leveraging on the NUJ. In Oyo state, the trade union AUPCTRE is playing a significant role in building the movement, with its representative also being the state secretary of Oyo state Chapter of TPAP-M.
Overall, AUPCTRE, TUC, and FIWON, were founding members of the movement, and have continued to play significant roles in building the movement.
TPAP-M has also written letters to state ministers and agencies demanding they take immediate action to recover monies belonging to the people of Nigeria, being held back by Transnational Oil Corporations in uncollected revenue ($62bn) and unremitted revenue (a discrepancy between $22bn & $6bn uncovered by NEITI).
The movement has taken a stand on insecurity in the country, addressing several open statements, and organising a National Day of Action against insecurity on March 31st, 2021.
The movement is clear that the root cause of insecurity is the failure or ruling class governance, resulting in mass poverty and mass misery. The problem being systemic, the solution also ultimately lies in a systemic transformation.
To position the working classes and toiling masses for the struggle for political power, the movement is also involved in efforts towards the registration, and or emergence of a consolidated Mass Party of the Working classes and toiling masses.
We are also building relationships internationally with fighting organisations of the working classes and toiling masses across Africa and the globe. We are reaching out and participating in the activities and processes of international coalitions of the organizations of the working classes and toiling masses, contributing to building a global movement of solidarity and struggle. The capitalist system that is the cause of our problems, is a global system, only a global assault on the system, and its global replacement, can end in a victory for the project of socialist transformation of all the human society across the global. As we challenge capitalism at home, so we challenge it abroad; as we challenge inequality at home, so we challenge inequality globally.
If you agree with us that the conditions of our people is not only bad, but that something drastic needs to be done to change and transform it, then, we urge you to come and join us, as we work and act together to build a mass political movement capable of challenging and upending the system, and capable of the leading the process to organise a new society, a new type of human civilisation.
Contact the Peoples Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M):
TPAPS <tpapsnigeria@gmail.com>
