Baba Aye's

There is no death in recent times that has left me as disconcerted as the tragic killing of Aremson by a hit-and-run driver on 12 October. I have tried to write, and each time got disoriented by the weight of emotions, some of which I still grapple with naming. This is not simply because of memories from over three and a half decades of friendship. I recalled our collaboration, the heated debates that continued late into the night before mobile phones, and the lengthy WhatsApp calls of recent times. My mind went to the cell we shared at Ikoyi prison during the June 12 struggle and the bed in a dingy hotel somewhere between Ojuelegba and Yaba as we put mechanisms in motion for the burning of tires to effect an NLC/TUC general strike that was called off at the last moment. I reflected on how my respect for Aremson soared when I visited him at home in August. Seeing the impact of a series of strokes on his health, and how he remained unbowed and unrepentant, I saluted him as one of the mo...

The 9th National Administrative Committee (NAC) of the United Action for Democracy (UAD) mourns the passing of our comrade, mentor, and revolutionary leader, Comrade Abiodun “Aremson” Aremu: a tireless fighter for justice, people’s power, and human liberation. Comrade Aremson’s life was wholly devoted to the struggle for a free, democratic, and socially just Nigeria. His sudden death in a hit-and-run incident on Sunday, 12 October 2025, in Ota, Ogun State, has left a painful void in the ranks of the labour, pro-democracy, and civil society movements, both within and beyond Nigeria. As a former Convener of the UAD, Comrade Aremu embodied the values of courage, clarity, and commitment. From the days of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) through the struggles of the Joint Action Front (JAF) and the Labour–Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), he stood firm on the side of the oppressed, never compromising on principles. Through his leadership in the Amílcar Cabral Ideological School (ACIS-M)...

As Nigeria commemorated its 65th Independence Day anniversary, I spoke with Ejikeme Omenazu of the Independent newspapers on several issues dwelling on the history and current situation of Nigeria, ranging from how far the country has fared, to the Civil War, the so-called indivisibilty of Nigeria, the non-difference-difference, if I may of the different sections of the local ruling class, the travails of Omoyele Sowore and Aliko Dangote's union bursting antics.  It is now 65 years after Nigeria's independence; how has the country fared so far? It depends on the question of which class you are talking about. Nigeria has fared badly for working-class people. At independence, workers, poor farmers and the urban poor were not as badly off as they are now. Hunger and insecurity did not stalk the land. They yearned for things to be better. They had high hopes that with independence, their lives would become better still. But it did not take them long to see that this was not goin...

It has now been 15 years since we lost Teslim “Samore” Oyekanmi. He was a fearless revolutionary, versatile unionist, brilliant activist, and unrepentant Mayist who lived life to the fullest. But alas, sickness took him away from us in his prime. And this was barely two years after we lost his partner, Zainab, a revolutionary Mayist in her own right. Teslim was Secretary General of the LASU Students Union towards the end of the last century. Zainab would later serve as Vice President and then Ag. President of the same union in the following session. I met Tes in the run-up to the election, where he emerged as SG of LASUSU. While I’d started full-time work in the trade union movement, I kept in close contact with the student movement, spending many an evening on campuses like LASU. He was recruited into the May 31st Movement (M31M, the precursor of today’s SWL) when he was a LASU union leader. And he remained a lifelong member of the movement. He was quite critical of a number o...

"Baba Aye...who also spoke to Sunday Independent, said that whistle blowing is es­sential for entrenching trans­parency and democratic values in any society. He, however, lamented: “But, not surprising, the class of ex­ploiters are hardly ever comfort­able about it. “They use states, which are primarily their means of repres­sion, to silence would-be-whis­tleblowers, or punish those who have successfully exposed them. “See what happened to Ed­ward Snowden and Chelsea Man­ning. See what is happening with Julian Assange. “So, it is not surprising that the Nigerian ruling class and its state are also not best friends with whistle blowers. “In my view, the best form of encouragement and support for whistleblowers can only come through organising from below. “Organised labour, radical civ­il society organisations and the mass media must support and encourage whistle blowing and whistle blowers.” Extract from:  Sunday Independent 29 June 2025 p.4

The Bola Tinubu administration has been on the saddle for two years. How do you see the state of the nation in these two years? My point of departure in responding to that question would be to draw from Malcolm X. He said something to the effect that there are two nations in every nation. The nation of the exploited and oppressed on one hand and the nation of the exploiter and oppressed on the other. For the poor working masses in Nigeria, the last two years have been terrible. Life has become terribly worse, and mere survival a great challenge. The cost of living has shot through the roof. The take home pay of workers cannot take them home. The 2024 minimum wage is meaningless. It is merely nominal. In real terms it is a wage cut compared to the 2019 minimum wage. But for the super-rich. Tinubu has been a blessing. As Oxfam pointed out in its inequality report earlier this year, this class of Nigerians wealth tripled between 2023 when Tinubu came to power and last year. Their riches...