Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, has warned that Nigeria as we know it may not survive the next three years if the current maladministration and mismanagement of its resources persists.
He made this statement during a keynote address at a capacity-building workshop held by the Political Commission of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for political leaders in Abuja yesterday.
Amadi accused President Bola Tinubu of practicing “exclusionary politics” and governing “with the smallest minority of any president.”
He emphasized the urgent need to transition Nigeria from a state of “intensive care” to one of recovery and regeneration, stating, “The country is terminally sick. The only difference between Nigeria and a person in intensive care is that Nigeria is not currently receiving any care.”
The University Scholar pointed out that the fearlessness displayed by youth protesting against bad governance during the recent #EndBadGovernance or #Hunger Protests in northern states such as Kaduna and Kano highlights how close the nation is to self-destruction.
Amadi remarked, “This reflects the recklessness that could ignite Nigeria’s revolution if the current hunger and hopelessness continue.”
He called for electoral reforms and “real and radical party restructuring.”
Using the Labour Party as an example, Dr. Amadi argued that the party has an opportunity to reform and help rescue Nigeria from its current challenges. He asserted that the Labour Party is crucial for the country’s sustainable economic and social development, stating, “It is difficult to conceive of a working democracy without a functioning political party system.”
He expressed concern about the lack of cohesive opinions and ideologies among existing political parties, noting that while the first republic ended in civil war and the second in military coups, the quality of democracy during those times was significantly better than today.
He observed that political parties during the two republics attempted to consolidate opinions and perspectives, mobilizing intellectual and human resources to present a vision for national development.
Amadi lamented that current political parties in Nigeria fail to convey a coherent ideological vision for the country’s development and lack organizational strength, stating, “We don’t have the luxury of well-managed parties anymore.”
He described existing parties as Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) solely used to gain political office. “Politicians proudly refer to parties as mere SPVs, vehicles to attain power, which they either discard or mismanage,” he explained.
The lawyer also warned that if political parties do not act as “arbiters and moderators” in a plural society, politics will devolve into an overt battle for personal interests.
Prof. Theo Ndubuaku, Acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, attributed Nigeria’s developmental challenges to what he termed broken politics. He called for political reconstruction and committed political leadership based on ideological and pragmatic principles to address years of poor governance.
“As a Political Commission, we are dedicated to changing the narrative—not through mere rhetoric or sloganeering but through active engagement with the political process. We recognize the crucial role of knowledge as a catalyst for effective political thought and action,” he stated.
This commitment led to the development and dissemination of a Workers’ Charter of Demands ahead of the 2023 general election, which covers a wide range of social, economic, and broader political concerns.
He revealed that they engaged candidates from different political platforms, including those who contested under the Labour Party.
“The NLC Charter of Demands became a rallying point for promoting issue-based politics and encouraging popular participation in the 2023 general election.
“The outcomes of our engagement with the political class have provided measurable markers that Nigerians now use to evaluate the performance of their elected officials, especially regarding the petrol subsidy and fair wages for workers,” he added.
