Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM)

For the working masses, Obasanjo�s regime is nothing short of absolute disaster. In this regard the several general strikes and mass protests waged by the working masses against the regime are clear demonstrations of the people�s desire to end this unjust dispensation. Therefore, the fact that the regime even has the temerity to moot the idea of continuing to remain in power even for the next one day, let alone beyond year 2007, unfortunately reflects the political weakness of labour and other mass organisations� leadership. This is because they have proved unwilling and incapable of utilising these struggles to chase out the regime from power and put in its place a working peoples� government which will be prepared to implement pro-masses policies as against the prevailing pro-rich pro-imperialist cum capitalist policies.

For the genuine interests of the working masses to be protected now and in the long run, the best approach is that which puts forward an immediate programme of actions concerning key issues of food, health care, housing, water and sanitation, education, jobs, affordable and available energy, functional and affordable transportation and communication networks etc. for all and not just for a few as it is presently the case. Moreover, the approach must be anchored on a strategy that combines the struggle for the realisation of these needs with an orientation of capturing political power to end all capitalist induced mass misery in the midst of plenty. From this point of view we argue that the only correct, and most effective, opposition that can be mounted against the third termists is one which demands an immediate end of this anti-poor regime and that has no illusions in the gangs of rival looters who simply want to step into the shoes of the Obasanjo clique.

All bourgeois opponents, with a few exceptions, of the third term agenda of Obasanjo are ex-ministers, ex-ambassadors, ex-legislators, ex-big government contractors, ex-prominent PDP party leaders and a coterie of others who felt left out of bazaar of public treasury looting which is the dominant feature of Obasanjo�s presidency. Virtually all those elements that currently parade themselves as members of MDD and MRD belong to this category. The other main bourgeois opposition to third term agenda is composed mostly of politicians in ANPP, AD, APGA, etc. Without mincing words, the opposition of these groups is both false and diversionary. It is false because all of these elements without exception support all the anti-poor capitalist policies of Obasanjo�s regime and, at the same time, are neck deep involved in treasury looting and electoral manipulations to acquire their positions in their own various areas of control wherever they hold and or held power.

Therefore their tactics of singling out Obasanjo in their campaigns is nothing but a bold face ploy to divert the attention of the working masses from the fact that they and president Obasanjo are birds of a feather. In many uncanny respects, the antics of these "born again" defenders of democracy are very similar to the roles played by the so-called G34 in the dying days of the Abacha military junta. While the masses of the people were waging life and death battles against successive military juntas, most elements that later metamorphosed as G34 were either holding key positions and or collaborating with these dictatorial, anti-poor regimes. Thus, adorned with the false robes of democrats, members of G34 and their likes across the country were able not only to position themselves for political positions in the post-military era, but most importantly were responsible for foisting on the country the current set of locusts presiding over the affairs of the country at all levels of governance.

Therefore, while striving to build a formidable mass force to end the widely hated Obasanjo�s regime the NCP will not go into any political alliance or merger with these layers of capitalist, anti-poor leaders, because the end of such alliance or merger will only produce equally disastrous consequences for the economic and political interests of the working masses. The NCP will not make a choice between bigger and lesser evils. The NCP is totally committed to combat all evils, we will never make a choice between Satan and Lucifer!

Based on this premises, the NCP totally opposes the position credited to Alhaji Balarabe Musa the chairman of CNPP in the Saturday January 7 2006 edition of The Guardian that the CNPP have agreed "to persuade the ANPP and AD to go into democratic alliance to present a common presidential candidate for the 2007 elections" under the guise of fighting the third term agenda. This is because such approach is an attempt to line up the masses behind another set of enemies of the poor who even should they capture power will only implement the same anti-poor pro-rich, pro-imperialist capitalist polices as Obasanjo�s government.

The NCP therefore call on Balarabe Musa, a self professed socialist and chairman of PRP which originated among the talakawas (poor masses), to join the effort of the NCP to rally all the genuine pro-working masses parties and organisations like NLC, TUC, CFTU, LASCO, PRONACO, , PRP, DA, DSM, etc to form a formidable political alternative, built on class struggle, to intervene in daily struggle of the working masses and contest for power on the basis of programme that guarantee basic needs for the working people.

Segun Sango