By Sulaymon Ruqoya
September 10th, 2024
Musician and activist Seun Kuti has urged Nigerians to move beyond protests and focus on organizing for true political transformation. In an appearance on the ‘Rubbin’ Minds’ show, Kuti argued that while demonstrations are important, they should only be the beginning of a larger movement towards systemic change.
“I am going to paraphrase Martin Luther King,” Kuti said, “but he said something like, ‘I would rather live in a warzone that is just than live in a peaceful place where there are no rights because there is nothing more peaceful than an unjust society.’ They have accepted their fate and keep quiet so the oppressors can do what they like.”
Reflecting on the resilience of Nigerians, Kuti added, “Up until 10 years ago, Nigerians were the most resilient people in the world, they said we were the happiest people in the world, and nobody came to give us awards for it. Now that we want to start speaking up for the betterment of ourselves, we are being charged.”
Kuti’s message is clear, protest is a start, but it’s not enough to create lasting change. “Protest is like a child complaining to a loving parent. But these people don’t care. That’s why I don’t preach protest only; I preach mass organisation because we the people must also organise ourselves for power,” he explained.
As Nigerians took to the streets from August 1 to August 10, 2024, to protest bad governance, Kuti emphasized the need to go further. “It is not enough that we are protesting because we don’t like what they do, we must also send signals that we are ready to replace them. Not with another version of themselves like we did before, PDP to APC, but with new people, representatives from our side of the divider”
He concluded by advocating for a shift away from capitalism, calling for a collective socialist identity. “It’s not enough that people protest, it is the start of the dance. We need to mass mobilize into a socialist identity to realize this country from this capitalist nonsense we are experiencing,” Kuti declared.