TRULY “SOWORE IS NOT A POLITICIAN BUT AN ACTIVIST!” By Adeola Soetan

TRULY “SOWORE IS NOT A POLITICIAN BUT AN ACTIVIST!” By Adeola Soetan

Ok, I can now understand what a politician means from definition of foolish minds..

A politician will keep quiet when university students are kept at home for over seven months due to government unleashed ASUU strike. This is because according to shallow minds, politics is not about education and future of our youths and welfare of their lecturers but about political power that must be gotten at all cost and by all crooked means possible.

A true politician must be blind, hear nothing and say nothing to socio-political and economic crisis that affects the people because his ambition is power grabbing and nothing more. And he should not rock boat of the status quo for fear of being denied victory by votes or by rigging.

The job of a good politician is not to involve himself in any protest, strike or respond to social issues that adversely affect the people but to keep dubious silence even if heaven will fall. In as much as some people still remain to vote for him, then no stress.

To be a good politician, you must worship the incumbent arrogant aristocratic oracle and other political deities. Don’t step on their toes to speak for the people when they are in distress because people’s interests don’t really count to a good politician but power for self and his greedy group to accomplish a transient or life ambition.

You can’t be a good politician if you don’t have enough huge stolen public fund to fight a political war, buy votes, induce voters, buy police, soldiers, induce INEC and unleash political thugs and violence on the electorate and the general public.

If you want to be acknowledged as a good politician, you must cultivate the habit of lying and propaganda without any scruple. Integrity and good character means nothing to a good politician in Nigeria but power nothing but power.

Sowore is truly not a good politician to have identified with ASUU strike and students protest or any protest at all. When I saw him with protesting students, it occurred to me that he’s really not a good politician. Or how many presidential candidates or parties have identified with these oppressed students and lecturers? None, , because they are good politicians who are desperate for power but bother less about the people. “Eni Amori iba ku, Agunla Aguntete” (let everyone goes to blazes, it doesn’t concern typical Nigerian politicians)

Since election is close by, a good politician should know that many uneducated youths and university students denied of classrooms are easy recruits to his army of political thugs, his voters, retailers of vote buying. For Sowore not to understand this, it means he’s not a good politician according to the warped opinions of many educated but foolish Nigerians who define a good politician from a bad premise. A rogue tradition they met and want to sustain and defend. .Ask them who’s a good politician in Nigeria, this is who and what these injured and destroyed minds mean.
“Make you ask them o, and we must ask” according to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (RIP)

I stand with ASUU and students denied of going to school.

Nigerian Constitution Should be Scrapped – Sowore

Nigerian Constitution Should be Scrapped – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress has once again called for the scrapping of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria and according to him the document does not speak to the current circumstances of the Nigerian people.

In an interview with Superscreen in Lagos, Sowore accused the military of sidelining the Nigerian people when they put together the fundamental governing law:
“The 1999 constitution was put together by the military and they fraudulently claimed that we the people. We did not also pass the constitution through a referendum.”

When asked what he wants done to the constitution when he becomes the president, Sowore said “It should be scrapped. The Nigeria constitution now as it stands is redefining the Nigerian people as it likes. Most Nigerians don’t even know the content of the constitution because they weren’t part of it.”

“Had the South Africans had continued with the apartheid constitution, South Africa will not be a place to stay. I’m not saying everything is perfect with there anyways but the first thing they did was to put together a new constitution to speak to their circumstance.

INTERVIEW: “I will work to eradicate Ministry of Women and Youth Affairs,” Ismaeel Ogunsola, AAC Oyo SHA Candidate

INTERVIEW: “I will work to eradicate Ministry of Women and Youth Affairs,” Ismaeel Ogunsola, AAC Oyo SHA Candidate

The 2023 general election is becoming a contest of ideas and values, than in previous years when it was cash for cash and bullets for bullets. In the pool of the emerging value-driven and ideologically inclined politicians is Ismaeel Ogunsola, running for an assembly position in the Oyo State House of Assembly. On a one on one with DAMILARE Adenola, Ismaeel dishes out series of his revolutionary plans intended to better the lives of his constituents.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Ismaeel Oladare Ogunsola

I was born in Igboora, Oyo state, Nigeria. had my primary, secondary and tertiary education in Oyo And Lagos state.

Studied finance at The Polytechnic, Ibadan in 2013 and later Economics at the University of Ibadan, 2018. I am ICAN and ACCA certified.

I worked in the banking sector for several years, from the defunct Diamond bank to Skye bank, now known as Polaris bank, until 2020 when I was sacked by the bank amidst controversies for front-lining protests against bad governance in the country.

I am now a writer, a stockbroker, digital marketer and the founder of Altruistic Mankind Project (Altmap) where we are mapping out sustainable world for coming men via series of advocacy and digital businesses.

I am currently the African Action Congress candidate for Oyo state house of assembly representing Ibarapa central and Ibarapa North

You tagged your campaign: revolutionary representation, what are the revolutionary plans you have for your constituents?

Yes, It is not tagged revolutionary representation for rhetorics, our ideas are revolutionary as it gets, and we will be legislating from a revolutionary side, which will be in tandem with our party’s (AAC ) manifesto. For instance as Oyo state house of assembly member, I will be sponsoring a bill that seeks to put government officials and civil servants on the same living wage.

I will be sponsoring a bill that seeks to digitalize our contracting system and severe punishment for defaulters.

A bill to efface the ministry of women’s affairs and youth ministry. These ministries were fashioned out to perpetually keep the two demography as minorities.

A bill to end oppressive cultural practices in our society. e.g- child marriage, sexual exploitation, genital mutilation, disinheritance of women, etc…..

How would you rate the Seyi Makonde government by in terms of developing Oyo state?

The Seyi Makinde government just like every other governors score low in terms of what development should be.

Anyone who thinks otherwise will be doing so because we have demeaned governance and development in this part of the world so much. So we take basics and bare minimum as good work.

But for people like us, he has done so little.

Interview: Under Buhari, violations of Human rights is the order of the day – Haruna Magashi

Interview: Under Buhari, violations of Human rights is the order of the day – Haruna Magashi

In June, Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the AAC announced Mr Haruna Magashi as his running mate in the forthcoming 2023 general election. Special about the ticket is its combination of two popular human rights defenders; one a citizens rights reporter, the other a citizens rights lawyer. In an interview with reporter, Damilare Adenola, the party vice presidential candidate throws a shovel into the ditch of his profile.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Barrister Haruna Garba Magashi. I’m Hausa by tribe, born in Ibadan Oyo State, and brought up in Kano.

I had my primary and secondary education in Kano and Jigawa States. Attended the University of Maiduguri Borno State for my LL.B and Nigerian Law School Lagos for my BL in 2005. I had a Masters’s degree at Bayero University Kano in 2016.

I’m currently operating my Law Firm HUJJAH CHAMBERS as a Principal Partner

Do you have a background in politics?

I started partial participation in politics in 2003. We were supporting ANPP then when primary elections of the party were conducted. Alhaji Ali Amin Little won the governorship ticket. But Buhari came and dictated that he will never go along with Little. So the ticket was forcefully and illegitimately taken away from Little and given to Ibrahim Shekarau.

That’s when we as youth stood up and supported Little when he was forced out of ANPP and joined PRP.

Some people say you do not have political weight in the North, what do you have to say?

From my point of view, ‘political weight’ as it’s called centers on the efforts one can make to secure the required needs of his party.

It is therefore not something that will be talked over the media, but rather the real effort one can do.

My political weight will be viewed through the structures we can put across the North, and importantly the votes we will be able to amass for our party.

As a human rights lawyer, how do you score the Buhari regime on human rights?

Very poor. Flagrant violations of citizens’ rights have become the order of the day.

What will the Sowore/Magashi administration do differently, as it concerns human rights?
The provisions of Chapter 4 of our Constitution that border on Human Rights will be adhered to without any sentiment.

If We Want To Reset Nigeria, Sowore Is The Best Candidate – Seun Kuti

If We Want To Reset Nigeria, Sowore Is The Best Candidate – Seun Kuti

Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, has said that he believes that the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, is better than the trio of other leading presidential contestants in the 2023 elections.

Kuti said, of the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress, and the Labour Party; Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, and Peter Obi respectively, the AAC standard bearer was the best if Nigerians were really ready.

“For me, Sowore is the best of the four candidates that are available. Personally, I still think he is better than the three others if Nigerians say they want to press the reset button,” he said.

The singer was speaking on the demise of Queen Elizabeth II and briefly digressed to address the 2023 elections.

“That they want to take the right step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the same Nigerians will tell you Sowore can’t win as if election is football sport. You are not playing to win; you are playing your conscience. You are voting your belief,” he added while speaking to Object TV Media.

Kuti said the Queen had only passed, but King Charles III who took over would still continue in the system that Nigeria is still under. He maintained that Africans still needed to liberate themselves from mental slavery.

“He (King Charles) would continue to perpetuate because the system still exists and we are still under the denomination of their system.

“It’s a moment for us to reflect. The Irish are jubilating and the Irish did not go through half of what Africans went through; the Irish being the most marginalised in their region.”

He said this meant that the Irish had liberated their minds.

 

Who Can Hold the Beasts Down, Sowore or Peter Obi? by Damilare Adenola

Who Can Hold the Beasts Down, Sowore or Peter Obi? by Damilare Adenola

All animals are equal, they say, but in Nigeria, beasts- especially ex-president – are more equal. Even when they commit the worst of criminalities like robbing the Nigerian people of their commonwealth and eating their flesh in cold blood when they fight back, no human being, who is born of a woman can commit them to their cross.

In the presidential race, there are two candidates seemingly appearing as the candidates with youth support buzz on social media: Omoyele Sowore and Peter Obi. This duo becomes relevant to this piece because their fan bases have forced the emerging political debate into an idea and issues-based one, other than the usual popularity or affluence based.

Honestly, the quality of the political debate testifies to the impact of #Endsars protest in awakening the citizens to government malfeasance and the need to fight back. Yes, ideas have played a decisive role in political development. Although it saw many heads hung on pikes, the French Revolution was more a battle of ideas. The American revolution was a battle of ideas more than it was of guns and boats. In the 2023 election, it is hope-rejuvenating that it will be one of the ideas.

On our way out of Egypt, unarguably, we can see the pharaoh of military and civilian ex-leaders standing; far above the law even. As youths, one of the ideas that should drive our adoption of a candidate – the one fit to fight for our freedom – is the need to assess the values that each hold.

The values on which every society thrives are largely connected to the values the leaders at the helm of affairs share; they usually correspond. In Burkina Faso for instance, where Blaise Campaore, an ex-leader of the country notorious for murdering the revered Affica’s upright leader, Thomas Sankara, was recently tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia, the leaders hold the values that everyone is below the law. In South Afria, where Jacob Zuma, for plundering public money, is doing his time, the leaders believe that a quail does not stand taller than another.

In Nigeria, rather, Gen. Buhari, a notorious coup plotter, who sacked a democratically elected government still walks the street freely and unfortunately sits on the most revered chair today. In this same country, characters like Babaginda who annuled the 1993 election and callously denied the Nigerian people of their mandate; Obasanjo who embezzled $16 billion belonging to Nigeria’s power project; Yakubu Gowon, under whose era Nigeria first witnessed an unprecedented level of corruption, have become demi-gods whose prayers are sought by aspiring presidents. However, no nation where this ‘bigmanism’ values drives ever moves in a direction of progress; Uganda, Zimbabwe, Democratic republic of Congo are all befitting examples.

Judging by what the two – Sowore and Peter Obi – hold as very important amongst their intended moves to change Nigeria, the choice of the ideal youths hopes to be resolved. ”You can’t shut down your shop and be chasing criminals; Peter Obi once responded to the question of who will tame the beasts. Sowore on the other hand, while responding to the same question, vowed to not only retrieve all stolen monies but also to hand all of these attrocious ex-leaders their jail beds.

Sowore meets Transport Workers in Lagos, promises better Welfare Policies to Revamp Sector

Sowore meets Transport Workers in Lagos, promises better Welfare Policies to Revamp Sector

Omoyele Sowore has said that his government will resuscitate the transportation sector in Nigeria with concentration on the welfare of transport workers.

Speaking with transport unions in a meeting in Lagos, Sowore said: “Our government will invest hugely in road infrastructure, we will establish a modern public bus transit system and for private transporters, we will subsidize the cost of buying buses. The drivers we will recruit to work in the public transport scheme will be provided a housing scheme and healthcare scheme.”

Sowore also said that his government will also put an end to the shenanigans of notorious transport unions who have turned themselves to the tools in the hand of PDP and APC politicians to disrupt elections.

Hassan Taofeek, Chairman Ibile Drivers Stakeholders’ Welfare Association of Nigeria, who also spoke declared support for the candidacy of Sowore: “We decided not to follow both APC and PDP because we know what we are doing. We can’t engage ourselves in election rigging and vote buying. We are ready to follow you.”