[ISSUED BY THE EXPANDED PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR T-PAPS – JANUARY 2021]
Since the Flag independence of 1960, our country has been enmeshed in various forms of deep and endemic crises, oftentimes posing grave existential threat to the nation and her peoples.
These crises often presenting as combined political, economic, socio-cultural and ecological in nature and character have been the manifest hallmarks of the decades of crass failure of the ruling class, the dysfunctional character of the failed state and the failure of governance over which this incompetent, treasury looting and light-fingered ruling class have superintended.
This process of intensification of the unconscionable and inhumane exploitation, repression, oppression and impoverisation of the working classes and peoples of Nigeria have only intensified since the 1999 return to civil rule.
However, historically the working peoples of Nigeria and their allies have played central and significant roles through their various and collective struggles in the evolution of the Nigerian nation and in resisting the anti-people policies of the ruling class.
The struggles of the organised working people were central to the attainment of independence, to the termination of military rule, and to the ongoing struggles to deepen democratic participation and consolidation.
From the January Uprising of 2012 to the #EndSARS Youth Rebellion of October 2020, the working and toiling peoples of Nigeria, led by their valiant mass organisations, social movements and citizens movements have always resisted oppression and made demands on power and the ruling class to Humanise our existence, to achieve our National Liberation as a country and our Social Emancipation as working and toiling classes and peoples.
The aborted September 28th Resist Hardship protests, and the subsequent #EndSARS protest movement are the most recent manifestation of not only the governance failure presided over by an historically incompetent ruling class, but also of the level, scale and scope of the deep-seated frustrations and anger among the working peoples and labouring masses of Nigeria.
These recent processes are the clearest indication of the urgency for the organised, coordinated, and collective political intervention of the left movement and allied radical progressive social forces in Nigeria.
What has been missing over the past several years is a clear cut, cohesive collective, and broad Left alternative political program and platform to engage and challenge the ruling class for power. This is why it is incumbent upon us now to take our destiny into our hands and to take up the task of organising to take power in order to use that political power to achieve our goal of radical social transformation of our society in the interest of the working classes and the toiling masses.
It is now more than ever incumbent on us to organise as broadly as possible radical left led revolutionary and working-class politics, including revolutionary participation in electoral politics; ensuring that we intervene politically in the day-to-day routine struggles of our people.
It is within this context that we issue this clarion call to all the oppressed working peoples of Nigeria to join us in this historic effort and initiative to work towards:
- The joint convening of The Peoples’ Alternative Political Summit [T-PAPS] that will;
- Discuss the current situation and deep crises in the country and agree on a Common Political Program [CPP] for radical left political intervention; And
- On the basis of this CPP launch a Joint Political Campaign [JPC] to implement the Common Political Program.
This process and alternative political initiative will deliberately exclude all the hegemonic political, economic and socio-cultural organisations of the ruling class and its multifarious factions. This process is open only to the organised platforms of the working classes and toiling masses.
We encourage all the organisations of the oppressed to come and join us in this process, and implore such organisations that wish to participate and be represented at the upcoming Peoples’ Alternative Political Summit [T-PAPS], to reach out to us through the contacts provided below, to indicate their interest and register for the Summit.
Organisations that have met the criteria for representation will receive formal letters of invitation to be represented at the summit from the Summit Organising Committee.
Towards the convening of T-PAPS, Zonal and state level mobilisation and awareness raising processes are planned. And we encourage everyone to be part of organising these mobilisation efforts.
The Upcoming Peoples’ Alternative Political Summit [T-PAPS] will hold as follows:
Date[s]: The Week of the 21st to 27th of March 2021
Venue: Abuja, FCT
You can reach us on the following;
08155636490
tpapsnigeria@gmail.com
Endorsed by:
1- The Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB).
2- Trade Union Congress (TUC).
3- Joint Action Front (JAF).
4- Liberation Party (LiP).
5- Socialist Congress of Nigeria (SCON).
6- Green Alliance Nigeria (GAN).
7- Take Back Nigeria Movement (TBN).
8- Movement of the People (MOP).
9- Agitation for Revolution.
10- People’s Alternative Front (PAF).
11- Socialist Workers and Youth League (SWL).
12- Socialist Labour (SL).
13- Christian Foundation for Social Justice and Equity (CFSJE).
14- Center for Human Rights and Social Advancement (CEFSAN).
15- Protest to Power (P2P).
16- Initiative for Grass Roots Advancement (INGRA).
17- Socio Economic Research and Development Center (SERDEC).
18- Human Rights Defenders (HRD).
19- Corporate Accountability and Public Participation.
20- 3CADA.
21- Tubali Development Initiative (TDI).
22- Moyo Pan-African Solidarity Center (MPASC).
23- Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).
24- Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR).
25- Policy Alert (PA).
26- KEBEKATCHE.
27- Center for Leadership and Development (CLD).
28- Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF).
29- We the People (WTP).
30- Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), South-South.
31- International Center for Women and Child Development (ICWCD).
32- Movement for Socialist Alternative (MSA).
33- Social Mobilisation Project (SMP).
