From Class Struggle to Civic Reawakening: Applying Marxist Political Consciousness to Local Governance in Nigeria

Local governance in Nigeria has long been mired in inefficiency, corruption and political disconnection from the grassroots. Despite the constitutional intention for local governments to serve as the closest tier of representation to the people, they have become increasingly alienated from the masses they are meant to serve. This disconnection has manifested in chronic infrastructural decay, lack of transparency, and citizen apathy. Drawing inspiration from Marxist political theory, particularly the concepts of class struggle, ideology, and political consciousness, and this article interrogates the systemic conditions that underlie political alienation at the local level. The central problem this work identified is the failure of local government institutions to engender genuine civic participation due to the prevalence of false consciousness, elite capture, and a lack of historical awareness among citizens. This article employs analytical method, grounded in Marxist theory, to evaluate the political structures of Nigerian local governments. It integrates a case study of Ayamelum Local Government to concretely demonstrate how alienation plays out in practical governance. By critically engaging the works of Karl Marx and African philosophers such as Chukwuemeka Iloanya and others, this article develops a framework for civic reawakening rooted in political education, ideological clarity, and structural reform. Ultimately, it argues that the transformation of local governance must begin with a reinvigoration of political consciousness at the grassroots, one that reclaims civic agency and redefines the relationship between the governed and the governing class.