Nigeria: Defend Abbey Trotsky and workers’ rights

By Democratic Socialist Movement, Nigeria

The case brought against Comrade Abbey Trotsky, the Acting National Chairperson of the Socialist Party of Nigeria and Oyo State Coordinator of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights took another dimension when it came up today on the 5th day of August, 2019.

The sitting which started at about 10am took a dramatic twist when the Police Prosecutor applied for the earlier charge against Comrade Abbey Trotsky to be struck out and substituted it with a fresh eight-count charge in the court.

Based on this development, Mr. Ola Adeosun who appeared alongside with Mr. Alfred Adegoke and Mr. Ayo Ademiluyi for Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye applied that fresh charge be struck out as the charge was prepared by a legal practitioner, the Officer-in-Charge of the Legal Department of the Zone 11 of the Nigeria Police Force without affixing his seal and signed by the Police Prosecutor, who was not a legal practitioner.

The submission of Comrade Abbey Trotsky’s counsel made the Magistrate to stand down the matter (take a recess) to write the ruling in her chambers. After one hour, the Magistrate reappeared and read her ruling to the effect that the charge is competent as long it was signed by a Police officer.

The fresh charge was read to Comrade Abbey Trotsky to which he pleaded not guilty. His counsel applied that he should be allow to remain on the prior bail conditions to which the Magistrate agreed on the condition that a fresh bail bond be prepared with the same surety who was to re-appear for a fresh interview before the close of work. 

Comrade Abbey Trotsky was able to meet all the conditions and continues to enjoy bail as earlier granted. The aim of the substitution of the charge is another ploy by the Summal management was to re-arrest Comrade Abbey Trotsky and behead the consistent mass mobilization on every court date that the matter comes up.

After the perfection of the bail at the court, comrades of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, drawn from Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan, Osogbo, Ibadan , Ifo(Ogun State), Centre and Eti-Osa(both in Lagos State) including sizable numbers of ex-SUMMAL workers moved to Cocoa House , Dugbe on a press rally to AIT, a television outfit and Radio Nigeria, Ibadan studios.

Comrade Kola Ibrahim, the Secretary of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, the National Youth Leader of the Socialist Party of Nigeria and Comrade Ayo Ademiluyi, a legal practitioner and a member of the legal team for Comrade Abbey Trotsky who is also a member of the Democratic Socialist Movement spoke in turn and called for the withdrawal of the charge. Comrade Abbey Trotsky was also interviewed on the state of the Summal struggle.

Comrades proceeded to Premier FM to stage a protest and we were well attended to. Comrade Kola Ibrahim and Comrade Abbey Trotsky in separate interviews expressed displeasure against the trumped-up charges in court. 

Another dramatic twist in the ongoing struggle is the service of court processes at the Magistrate Court of civil matter instituted by the Summal Foods Limited and National Union of Foods, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) against Comrade Abbey Trotsky at the National Industrial Court.

This confirms all the statements hitherto issued to the effect that there is an unholy alliance between the union and the management. It also shows the desperate agenda to intensify legal fireworks against Comrade Abbey Trotsky and the organisation.

In all, the day ended as a victorious outing for Comrade Abbey Trotsky, Summal workers and members of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights and Socialist Party of Nigeria as the agenda of the Summal Management to re-arrest Comrade Abbey Trotsky with a substituted charge and behead the growing campaign failed.

The matter was adjourned to 24th October, 2019 and the next adjourned date provides an opportunity to take forward the campaign.

We once again thank members of civil society organization like ACIS-M who join the today action in solidarity as well as members of committee for a workers international, CWI, who also staged one form of solidarity actions or the other to the Nigeria embassies particular in Germany and many other countries across the world.

We remain undaunted and nothing shall discourage us!