Only You Can Take Your Country Back; Now!!!

Only You Can Take Your Country Back; Now!!!

Nigerians over the years have had so many bad governments, whether during the military regime or in this current democratic dispensation that began in the year 1999, after so many years of military dictatorships and coups, and more importantly, a military coup which toppled a democratically elected government and got so many innocent Nigerians imprisoned without trial.

Nevertheless, history will never forgive us and posterity will definitely condemn us if we fail to teach our children and inform Nigerians in general about the atrocities committed by these people, especially that of Muhammadu Buhari who was in fact one of the worse military dictators in Nigeria, whose fascist government and narcissistic character gruesomely subjected Nigerians, unfortunately, to gross cruelty with impunity.

“Buhari enslaved the nation. He gloated and gloried in a master-slave relation to the millions of its inhabitants. It is astonishing to find that the same former slaves, now free of their chains, should clamour to be ruled by one who not only turned their nation into a slave plantation, but forbade them any discussion of their condition.” ~ Prof. Wole Soyinka.

Just as it is today, so it was in the military era, except that the two other arms of government, the press, and rights activists are at least somewhat free due to democracy

A lot of atrocities have been committed against the Nigerian people and without doubt, it is time for us as a people who have been collectively battered, dehumanized, denigrated, starved, and dejected to rise up, stand as one and take our country back from these oppressors who still live with us and in fact still govern us with ineptitude and feel no remorse whatsoever for their mis-governance and maladministration and the long term retrogression into which they have sunk our dear country.

The government of the day is a government whose corruption fight is only against opposing political voices and persons, it is a government that harbors corrupt politicians within its own party yet go extra miles to bring every political oppositions and even opposing voices of concerned citizens to judgement with lawsuits and imprisonment.

“Driver Get Accident, Na Conductor Buhari Charge Go Court” ~ Fela Anikulapo.

The 2019 general elections is here in less than a month and the people would go vote at the ballot for a new President and a new government, but while we are at it, we have to put into cognizance all the problems facing us in the country which is majorly due to the inept character and the maladministration by our politicians in government over the years.

Hence we have to vote them all out come February 16th, 2019, and take our country back by voting in credible candidates with worthy antecedents who have the will to make our country a great place for us wherein we would have no reason to leave our country and become illegal immigrants in foreign lands, and some becoming victims of xenophobia or ending up in a precarious situation in Libya.

Meet Our Representatives; The People’s Choice!!!

Meet Our Representatives; The People’s Choice!!!

The People’s Representatives!!!

Prince Igho Sajere DELTA STATE: OKPE/SAPELE/UVWIE.

I am a humanitarian and an advocate for effective leadership in the name of democracy. I believe our Constituency needs a better representation and this cannot happen without Restoration. A stand for restoration lets us change the narratives put in place by our corrupt leaders since 1999. I truly believe Deltans can be a part of this real change, and all things are possible when we’re united. Our code for development is the acrimony stated below; Prince Igho Sadjere, which stands for PISA. P- peace and security I- improved investments, grassroots empowerment, and increase in Jobs S- satisfactory electricity supply A- Accessibility.


Michael Amune EDO STATE: AKOKO EDO

Comrade Amune Michael Ozaveshe is the CEO/ Founder of Amune Michael’s Foundation, born into the humble family of Chief Francis Atikoko Amune of Igarra, Akoko Edo LGA of Edo State Nigeria on the 19th of January, 1992. He founded Amune Michael Foundation (AMF) in October 2015 and has since recalled successes on different Ventures she has indulged in. I’m running for office to enhance the lives of the people in Akoko-Edo, and the country as a whole. Some of the ares I wish to make major impacts if given the priviledge to serve my people would be the following; 1.) REBUILDING a new AKOKO-EDO 2.) SPORTS DEVELOPMENT 3.) WIDOWS AID PROGRAM 4.) EDUCATION 5.) HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT 6.) INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT 7.) TOURISM When elected, I will ensure that our constituency allowances are well utilized. I aim at providing Skills Acquisition Centers, Renovating Schools, Building of Abattoirs, providing provisional lock up stores that will be given out at affordable prices etc. I will work tirelessly to formulate policies that engender welfare, and bring prosperity to the people of Akoko-Edo. Conclusively, I have no doubt in my mind that this time around the electorates will consider capacity, capability, antecedent and preparedness against any form of financial inducement as they elect their representatives. All these can only be achieved with your support in casting your vote for me come 2019. GOD BLESS AKOKO – EDO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY *VOTE* AMUNE MICHAEL OZAVESHE as your next representative at Nigerian House of Representatives! Vote for African Action Congress(AAC)!!! Join the campaign and Rescue Akoko-Edo.


Freedom Atsepoyi DELTA: WARRI

My name is Freedom Okpetoritse Atsepoyi, popularly known as Mr Jollof (born 13 August 1987), I am a graduate from Benson Idahosa University, Benin City where I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration in 2009. In 2013, I also obtained a Masters degree in Public Administration from Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State. I am happily married and blessed with 2 awesome kids.I come from a very rich community and I reside in an Oil City (Ugborodo community & Warri City), it might interest you to know that the community where I come from is hosting one of the biggest multinational company in Nigeria (Chevron Nigeria Limited), also my community witness the WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST GAS-TO-LIQUIDS PROJECT (ESCRAVOS GAS TO LIQUID PROJECT EGTL). To my greatest surprise, It beat my imagination that despite all this resources my community /constituency is sitting upon, the people living in this environment are living in total poverty and we have people representatives at the Federal level down to the community level, I keep asking questions but no one seems to give me a favorable response, I decided to take the bull by the horn to contest in this forthcoming 2019 General Elections for the position of House Of Representatives to represent the people of Warri Federal Constituency and We came up with a theme tagged; CRY 4 FREEDOM CAMPAIGN ORGANISATION I know the journey to attain such position will be expensive and I need funds to achieve my purpose. The purpose of raising this money are as follows: – Printing of campaign shirts – branding of cars – billboards – flag off/rallies – door to door campaign – printing of fliers To mention but a few. Please note this is not for pleasure but for my political ambition to set my people in Warri Federal Constituency free from poverty, rejection, oppression, e.t.c. Your donation will be appreciated. Thank you

Fatima Sani Mohammed

JIGAWA

Who am I?
I am Fatimah Sani Mohammed from Jigawa State. Running for the office in the Federal House of Assembly representing Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa and Yankwashi consistencies.

Why me?
I will ensure to use the position to represent the people of Jigawa accurately and honestly. I promise to make sure the AAC party works for you. I want to strengthen the welfare of the community on a professional and personal level by implementing an open door policy.
I am not promising the impossible but, extensive research has been conducted to identify the problem areas and establish a comprehensive plan or a “roadmap” for political stability in the region.


Olusola Adekunle Akapo LAGOS ALIMOSHO

I’ve 6 years of international experience while working for Municipal and State government. My passion to serve the public and to make laws that would benefit every Nigerian who been disenfranchised by oppressive and corrupt government. These are part of the reasons why am soliciting for votes from the electorate l plan to represent in my Constituency.Having had 15 years of engineering experience in my working carrier will enable me to perform oversight functions on committee(s) in my capacity.


Ade-Adedeji Adeyera LAGOS:IKEJA

Having worked as a Legislative Aide at the National Assembly and with a working knowledge of legislative doctrines and policies, I consider myself eminently qualified to be a Lawmaker. Most of all the old guards we seek to dislodge have seen Public office as a place to corruptly enrich themselves. That’s why a Lawmaker can earn so much and not sponsor a single bill in his years in office. However, all that’s about to change because we’re out to rewrite the history of governance and policies through qualitative and truly people-driven representation.


Ishola Olatunde Abraham LAGOS: SHOMOLU

I considered myself as the people of Zone 7, the knowledgeable disenfranchised Nigerian. I have live more than 13 years in a country that have one of the world best constitution and societal system of government. With my direct experience of modern society. I want to represent my people in creating a better society for all.


Muyiwa Solomon Odewole OGUN STATE: ADO-ODO/OTA

#TakeItBack from looters. Nigeria is at the verge of anarchy, nothing is working. Good and accountable governance would build the masses confidence and reduce the level of corruption and poverty to minimum ravaging the country.

Taiwo ibironke

I consider my candidacy a call to liberate and fight for a dividend of democracy denied to the people of my constituency. I am in this race to win and nothing else. I process the ability with experience to deploy strategic strategies using the knowledge of the constituency I know very well growing up as a child. At the moment, the main political parties PDP and APC are far from winning as both have disappointed the citizens in the past and people are wiser now. Our party AAC in the grass root of my constituency stands an advantage for voting power.

NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED, BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER

NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED, BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER

Dear ever-enduring Nigerians

I do not need to ask if you are fine for it won’t be surprising if you are not fine at this moment, especially after watching this most distasteful of engagement any leader could have with his/her citizens. We understand how you all felt after watching Buhari and Osinbajo speak at the just-concluded town hall meeting organized by NTA/DariaTV and sponsored by MacArthur Foundation.

We understand that many of us burnt fuel to watch the ‘talking down’ because of the unrivaled darkness they keep expending our collective resources on without any tangible results.  Many had to stream live on their gadgets with very costly data rates – such expensive rates can only be found in a country with no solid economic leadership. This is not adding the fact that you probably had to pray to God for the reception of a man-made network to work fine.

We are not oblivious to the fact that the President could not answer your questions correctly. He lied about a lot of issues, about questions bordering on corruption and security. And for those he did answer, the questions had to be repeated, an average of three times each. The anchor had to continually stretch forward while asking her questions and, at a point I consider to be her threshold, she had to ask if the President was okay to run for office again. This situation of extreme lethargy is completely unacceptable from anyone who wants to lead an energetic country, a country with 70% young people, whose energies have been refocused to less productive things by unproductive leaders with disastrous results.

Can we crave your indulgence to bear with NTA for the time wasted as you have always been known as the most enduring people in the world?

On the 23rd January, 2019, Omoyele Sowore and Dr Rabiu Rufai of the AAC will be having the most  honest and brilliant engagement with you all on how to take the country back and place it on a revolutionary path in order to take it to the highest level.

Stay tuned!

Adeyeye Olorunfemi

President, Association of Citizens Who Deserve Better. (ACWDB)

The Village of Dreams

The Village of Dreams

Beyond the fact that the video below shows how an ordinary life is transformed into the extraordinary, and the power of dreams in spite of the odds, it also offers optics into the  visceral part of Omoyele Sowore’s humanity. 

The video connects all of us to the human side of the enigma that is behind those years of fight against corruption, fight for democracy and fight for social justice. The video is a call to that rare place of extra-ordinariness that we all can identify with. It says you, right there, at the state that you are, can aspire to your dreams, that the stars belong to you too and nothing hegemonic or nepotistic can truncate the trajectory of your will.  

What the video says, most importantly, although not directly, is that a vote for Omoyele Sowore is a vote for yourself. It validates your place in your country as an equal and a possible story. It helps strengthen the story, take it to a higher place where Nigerians everywhere can look at themselves or their dreaming children and say, ‘You too can be the president’. Let’s make this happen together. Let’s say yes to this story.

SOWORE FIGHTS ON – THE REAL DEBATE FOR NIGERIA’S FUTURE WILL TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2019

SOWORE FIGHTS ON – THE REAL DEBATE FOR NIGERIA’S FUTURE WILL TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2019

Today, the NEDG/BON 2019 Presidential debate will take place. The APC (Buhari), PDP (Atiku), ANN (Durotoye), ACPN (Ezekwesili) and YPP (Moghalu) are all scheduled to be on stage. However, Sowore Omoyele, the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, and Nigeria’s most authentic voice for positive change and national transformation will be conspicuously absent from that stage.

We are disappointed, but not deterred. We recognize that those who have raped and plundered Nigeria for much of the last 58 years will not yield power without a fight. While the debate would have offered us a platform to engage with the Nigerian people, we are encouraged by the fact that although our candidate will not be on the debate stage, his message of hope continues to be passed on to Nigerians on the streets, in market squares, in places of worship and on social media.

The conspiracy to keep the most authentic voice of positive change and transformation away from that debate stage was deep. It began with the fraudulent selection of participants by Channels TV, NEDG and BON, and ended with the refusal of the Chief Judge of the High Court of the FCT, Justice Ishaq Bello, to assign the case to a trial judge.

Along the way, the first trial judge, Justice D. Z. Senchi recused himself from the case, and the UPN, a member party of the APC led Coalition of Progressive Political Parties (CPPP), sought to introduce further delays by filing to join our case.

All these extreme actions were taken because they are afraid. Again we ask question what we have asked before: why is there such an obvious fear of allowing the participation of Omoyele Sowore in the presidential debate? What does the ruling establishment have to hide? We know they do not want us to reveal to Nigerians that the “Next Level” that they are seeking, is a worse level of depravity, ineptitude, nepotism and corruption. They are afraid that what they tell themselves behind closed doors, as Nigerians learned from the revealing confessions that Amaechi made about Buhari and the APC’s views about Nigeria, will be openly exposed to the Nigerian people, on prime time TV.

They are correct to be afraid. Sowore would have spoken truth to power tonight. He would have called out Buhari for his callous indifference and challenged Atiku on his crass corruption. He would have revealed Buhari’s ineptitude in the areas of corruption, security and the economy; and exposed Atiku’s complicity in the systemic degradation of Nigeria and its institutions. But most importantly, he would have shared his clear vision for placing Nigeria on the path to prosperity and growth.

If those who conspired to keep Sowore from that debate tonight believe that by doing so, they would have silenced him – they are making a grave error. Truth can never be crushed. A hurricane cannot be tamed. The Nigerian people have seen a glimpse of a brighter future that Sowore and the AAC will provide to them.

On January 23rd, Nigerians will hear from Sowore at The Candidates, a Town Hall series organized by the MacArthur Foundation. President Buhari and VP Osinbajo were at the forum on the 16th, and Nigerians got to watch a two hour horror movie of the inept set of leaders at the helm of our nation. We will present our case to the Nigerian people at this Town Hall. We ask our supporters and those who seek genuine progress for Nigeria, to tune in to that event.

We knew it wouldn’t be easy. We knew the roads would be rough. We knew the establishment would fight back. We are still here. We are still strong. We will not retreat. We will not surrender. Nigeria’s future is too important. We will continue the fight, and we are confident that on February 16, 2019 the Nigerian people will give their verdict on the debate for Nigeria’s future by voting Omoyele Sowore as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigeria MUST progress!!!

Dr Malcolm Fabiyi
Director General Sowore 2019 Campaign
Deputy National Chairman (Admin), AAC

Francis Shonubi Speaks on Purposeful Representation and the Lagos East Senatorial Race.

Francis Shonubi Speaks on Purposeful Representation and the Lagos East Senatorial Race.

 I believe the kind of senators we have in Nigeria are just playing a kind of shenanigan that does not represent the interest of the common man –

-Francis Shonubi on TVC

Francis Olarenwaju Shonubi is popularly known as ManiKongo of Afrika. He is a graduate of History and International Relations from University of Lagos currently vying for a seat in the Lagos East Senatorial District under the African Action Congress [AAC]

On the 17th January 2019, he had a conversation on TVC with the Mr Nifemi Oguntoye as the anchor. In the interview with the link below, Mr Shonubi spoke on why he is the preferred candidate for adequate representation of the people of Lagos East people.

When the interviewer segued into regional sentiment tied to Ikorodu, stating that the region has produced senatorial candidate between 1999 and 2003, he responded by stressing that we cannot limit representation of Lagos East to just Ikorodu, although he is from Ikorodu.

I want to speak to my people, the good people of my constituency. We are not looking at Ikorodu now. We are looking at five Local Governments.  We are looking at direct representation at the red chamber. We are not (just) looking at Ikorodu because when you say Ikorodu, you are going to be marginalizing all other constituencies. I am talking of Bariga, Shomolu…etc. We are looking at purposeful representation of our people, so don’t let’s talk about Ikorodu factor now. Let’s look at the people in that constituency.

The interview also delve into the odds of winning the elections with the interviewer emphasising the fact that the ruling party is fielding a supposed experienced candidate who has been member of the State House of Assembly four consecutive times. Mr shonubi, without hesitation, argued that there is no bill passed in the entire period of time the said candidate spent in the State House of Assembly.

I am from the same constituency with him. He has been in the lagos state house of assembly for 3 consecutive times and I have not seen anything that he has done. I am not saying this to downplay him but I am saying there is no bill.  He never sponsored any bill – Francis Shonubi.

Speaking about failure of legislative representation of his region, he said:

Let me say that in my own constituency, I have not seen any direct impact. I have been in my constituency for, let’s say, for decades.

Having spoken on character, he expantiated on his trackable antecedent and how entrenched he is in his local community;

I will say this with all modesty.  I am someone that believes in humanity. I see  myself as a humanist and I feel the pulse of the common man. I am qualify for this position I am vying for. I will say it with all modesty, I have been tested and trusted from  Secondary school through my university days and in my community. As I speak to you, I am the secretary of my community which is the Igbogbo kingdom. I am organising secretary of the Igbogbo kingdom festive period that we normally have, which is a signature event.

According to the interviewer, Mr Francis Shonubi will be wrestling at the polls with fourteen other candidates.

AAC Senatorial candidate makes case for visionary leaders
I’ll Provide Visionary Leadership For Lagos East – Francis Shonubi
The Debate Before The Debate: What Are You Afraid Of President Buhari?

The Debate Before The Debate: What Are You Afraid Of President Buhari?

”In nearly four years of his presidency, Buhari has totally disengaged and distanced himself from Nigerians given his aloofness and spectating position on important and controversial national issues when he should have addressed the Nigerian people.” – Bayo Oluwasanmi

January 10, SaharaReporters published a story headlined “APC Coalition Joins Conspiracy To Exclude Sowore From Presidential Debate” In a statement issued by Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi, Director-General of the Sowore 2019 Campaign says “The African Action Congress and the Sowore 2019 Campaign has been notified of a plot to use frivolous lawsuits as a salt tactic to prevent a timely ruling on the case instituted by our party for the inclusion of Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the party, in the January 19th NEDG/BON 2019 Debate.”

“According to the party, the United Party of Nigeria (UPN), which is a member of the APC-led Coalition of Progressives Political Parties (CPPP), is set to file a motion at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja seeking to be joined as a party in the Sowore suit.”

The exclusion of Sowore from the debate has become the debate before the presidential debate. Nigerians are flabbergasted, scratching their heads why the hell Sowore who has proven to be a great communicator on the campaign trail, a tireless campaigner, a charismatic crowd puller, and a brilliant debater who explicates the great issues of our time for ordinary Nigerians was yanked from the debate.

The new plan of APC as a co-conspirator in the plot to disallow Sowore from participating in the debate make President Buhari an accomplice. In nearly four years of his presidency, Buhari has totally disengaged and distanced himself from Nigerians given his aloofness and spectating position on important and controversial national issues when he should have addressed the Nigerian people.

Buhari has remained dangerously reticent, wickedly reclusive, sneakily elusive, and a terrible taciturn who fail to use the bully pulpit to connect with Nigerians. For example, it took him four days as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to issue a terse statement after 100 of his soldiers were butchered by Boko Haram.

Mr. President, you’re employed by the Nigerian people. Sir, you’re duty bound to feel their pulse on any issue by talking to them and getting feedback. As president, you cannot choose to remain silent. Right now, there’s a rumor making the rounds that your handlers have surreptitiously scheduled your next doctor’s appointment in London to coincide with the date of the debate so a proxy will fill in for you.

The question that agitates the minds of Nigerians is: Why would President Buhari through his party APC join the conspirators to exclude Sowore from the debate? Who is afraid of Sowore? What are you afraid of President Buhari? Why do you want to deny Nigerians the opportunity to hear from Sowore? Why are you scared of being on the debate stage with Sowore? Nigerians are dying to hear from Sowore why he wants your job.

In fact, you should insist on debating Sowore so you can amplify your achievements as president in the past four years live on a national TV. If you ever go on stage with Sowore, we promise you our eyes will be stuck to the screen like peanut butter on bread. Please don’t let this rare opportunity pass you!

The importance of presidential debates cannot be stressed enough. Debates force candidates to discuss issues they would rather not discuss. Debates allow candidates to deny or confirm some of their bogus campaign claims and exaggerated promises. Debates allow voters to assess men and women running for office without the usual filters. Debates provide opportunity for candidates to defend their cagey positions and irritable repudiation of the other’s views, record, and ability.

Debates will reveal to Nigerians who among the candidates is well groomed, prepared, and ready to govern through display of confidence, construction of logical arguments that make sense, the opportunity to hear and see audience’s reactions, and the humility to listen and respond to others’ arguments. Debates also guarantee the freedom of speech by allowing people with whom we disagree to speak.

If we examined, scrutinized, and grilled our presidential candidates and see who is best fit, best prepared for the job, who demonstrates sound judgement, ability and intelligence, superior analysis, mastery of the problems and proffered solutions, the debate will recommend for voters who they’ll cast their votes for The debate will prove who is the dead dog and the living lion… Let’s go there!

Glints of Hope as Hurricane Sowore Storms Adamawa.

Glints of Hope as Hurricane Sowore Storms Adamawa.

Nigerians are tired of the present crop of political leaders – party faithful.

With fervor and strong faith in the Nigeria project, Omoyele Sowore continue to travel to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. He storms Yola yesterday, 16th of January, 2019, with the AAC and Take It Back campaign team.

At Burunji, Jimeta, Sowore submits, it is the people who are working that are suffering in this country and that must change. Sensitizing the people, Sowore speaking further says, I know that every time politicians come here to get your votes and after that they run away … but we will never forget you.

At one of the events, a party faithful speaks passionately about the political inspiration Omoyele Sowore has become and how it has compelled rare devotions, including the donation of a car for campaign by Mr Robert. Speaking passionately, he says;

This is engineer Robert, when he watched omoyele sowore video clip, he joined us in the struggle and he donated his car. He gave his car for use for the campaign. We have branded it. We are taking it out of town. We are taking it round the city of Yola, we taking it to LG to do campaign.

As a matter of fact, something happened yesterday, we are all surprised; while this engineer drove this car around Mubi roundabout, Most of you may not which location is Mubi roundabout but Mr Omoyele Sowore knows that place quite okay because he did his  NYSC service here in Adamawa State… the youth gathered, they converged around him and they started shouting this is our party, this is our candidate, we are going to vote him, we are tired of PDP, we are tired of APC… this is the first time we are seeing a car like this and we like what is happening. I am telling you, Nigerians are tired. We are tired. Youths are tired. And we are out. We are coming out. In full force. In full measure. Resources is not going to hamper us. Determination is all we need to succeed.

The speaker speaks of the strategy employed for their local campaign;

we are sensitizing the people and we are getting attention of people to vote Omoyele Sowore. That is what we do. All of their emphasis is on rigging. Do we have the cabals around us that would help us rigged elections and grant us victory? I say see, rigging is not going to work in 2019 elections. Whoever rig election is out of the game because we will not tolerate that anymore. We will go every length to stop any illegal move as far as the elections is concern.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fmrH2KDSz4

#SIDEwithSowore and let your efforts be seen

#SIDEwithSowore – what a wonderful example of giving this is! When you want to help your country, you do whatever you can, whatever it takes. Nigerians, we see you all. All of you branding vehicles, printing posters, talking to your neighbours, educating the opposition online, burning data to watch Facebook Live events, we see every single one of you, and we say thank you. We will win this because Nigerians deserve this. #AAC #AfricanActionCongress #Sowore2019

Posted by Sowore2019 on Miðvikudagur, 16. janúar 2019

Contributions to the debate on Forced Eviction in Lagos State

Contributions to the debate entitled: ’ABUJA POLICY DEBATE COMES TO LAGOS:THE POOR MUST ALSO LIVE.DEMOLITIONS OF MARKETS AND WORKPLACES IN LAGOS’’Organised by Freidrich Ebert Foundation,FES
FORCED EVICTION, DEMOLITION OF MARKETS, DISPOSSESSION OF THE POOR WORKING PEOPLE AND INCREASING POVERTY AMONG THE GRASSROOTS MASSES IN LAGOS STATE
Paper Presented by Kunle Oladejo,Director-General,International Centre for Grassroots Research and Development Initiative,InterCEGRADI,Economic and Political Risks Analyst in Collaboration with Comrade Barrister Musa Lawal, Secretary-General, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC
>Attention first and foremost captured by abject poverty and inequality-increasing gap between the rich and poor
> Extent of poverty in Nigeria since 1999: About 70% of Nigerians were reported by the “National Concord” of September 7, 1999 to be poor and that the number living below poverty line increased from 17.7 million to 67.1 million by 59.4 million between 1980 and 1996.Now the number of the poor is estimated to be more than 100 million people who cannot afford $1 dollar a day, that is, about =N=300 daily!!!
>Gross under estimation of Nigerian population:by the end of this year,it would have been about 222 million-at the end of 2018,it was approximately 2015 million
> Unemployed graduates greater than or equal to 10 million jobless;ILO figure more than 10 years ago was 37.5 million for all the jobless;FG’s Bureau of Statistics, BOS, gave 35 million ten years ago; at a retreat by the National Assembly 10 years ago ,it was estimated to be 50 million ;by our estimation ,the jobless population is between 60 and 70 million
> WHY IS INEQUALITY INCREASING IN INTENSITY? WHY IS THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR WIDENING? WHAT CAUSES CYCLICAL ECONOMIC CRISIS OR RECESSION OR STAGFLATION AND DE-INDUSTRIALIZATION?
> According to OXFAM & UNO at the end of 2015 when Millennium Development Goals,MDGs were renamed Sustainable Development Goals,SDGs,the gap between the poor and rich is increasing and inequality is increasing in intensity. This is a manifestation of cyclical economic crisis globally or better still intrinsic or organic crisis of market economic fundamentalism or paradigm
> But what causes cyclical economic crisis, recession or stagflation and de-industrialisation or Long Depression as we have been having since the end of the Great Recession worldwide between the end of 2007 and 2009 till today? The answer is not far –fetched .I am not convinced by social democrats who rely on KEYNESIAN MODEL OR SCHOOL of mainstream economics as a phase of capitalism or neo-liberalism which started in 1976 or 10 years after imposition as SAP,structural adjustment programme in Nigeria by General Babangida in1986 leading to serious de-industrialization in all sectors of the economy
> E vents in the world economy confirm the profundity of the predictions by Karl Marx and Engels more than 170 years ago more relevantly now.It could have been written yesterday!!!
> WHY ARE WE WHERE WE ARE: Nigeria’s Long Depression-Historical-materialist Perspective of the Crisis in Nigeria’s Neo-colonial Market Economy for the past 32 years?
> The premises of recession and skyrocketing inflation(STAGFLATION-stagnancy/de-industrialisation and inflation which did not start in 2016 in Nigeria is a concept developed by Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor Paul Samuelson, adviser to President J F Kennedy) are flimsy excuses by governments who have been implementing, since 1999, NEO-LIBERAL ECONOMIC POLICIES which are contrary to the 1999 Constitution (this is more than 90% of 1979 Constitution) in its chapter two entitled:’’ Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy’’- the IDEOLOGICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL foundation of that Supreme Law which its section 224 makes mandatory for political parties to have their manifestos and constitutions CONFORM TO.
> ON THE RIGHT TO SHELTER OR SOCIAL HOUSING encapsulated in chapter two and African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights,ACHPR,part of Nigerian Laws by virtue of its Enfocement Act,CAP 10,1990,by now after 3 and a half years,we should have had about 2 million low cost housing units were the social democratic reforms in the manifesto of the ruling party not abandoned for neo-liberal or market economic paradigm which General Buhari promised Tony Blair at Chatam House and Barack Obama when he was invited less than two weeks after he was sworn in.Between 1966 and 1986,SOCIAL HOUSING was in vogue with Gowon Housing Estates; interestingly in line with Chapter Two of 1979 Constitution,Late President Shagari who never budgeted more than =N=50 billion naira, built housing estates on owner-occupier basis –Former Governor Jakande of Lagos State never budgeted more than =N=1billion in total for 4 years, built Housing Estates for grassroots masses.But what we now see in Lagos is land speculation ,land grabbing and forced eviction during which the owners of the land were either injured or killed and their property were given to powerful individuals for private development .Most of these evictions were done in the night by wicked Lagos government in violent violation of their rights including right to life -an example is death of TRIPLETS WHOSE MOTHER SPONTANEOUS GAVE BIRTH TO THEM WHEN SHE WAS BEING EVICTED,BUT WHEN THEY DIED IN QUICK SUCCESSION,SHE RAN MAD,That is as a result of this intrinsic or organic crisis of MARKET SYSTEM predicted more than 170 years ago!
>Since the era of SAP and since 1999 in the richest state,Lagos there has not been SOCIAL HOUSING!!!
> Let us recall what NEO-LIBERALISM alias SAP did to the other sectors of the economy: General Babangida took power in 1985 and imposed the neo-liberal agenda foisted on Nigeria by IMPERIALIST-,IMF,WORLD BANK AND WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION,WTO which was then GATT, General Agreement on Trade and Tariff, GATT starting with deregulation, liberalisation of trade, devaluation of the Naira ,privatization or sale of public assets and companies in 1986.Hence , DE-INDUSTRIALISATION began ,for example ,the textile industry lost more than 500,000 workers to STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM, SAP, a neo-liberal paradigm from 1986 till the present time( ten years after IMF & WORLD BANK started NEO-LIBERAL GLOBALISATION in 1976 which they are now hypocritically denouncing as the root cause of the present LONG DEPRESSION IN WORLD ECONOMY which started in 2009 after the GREAT RECESSION,2008-2009 which was not-and could not have been as serious and deep as a DEPRESSION).OUR OWN LONG DEPRESSION started about 32 years ago in 1986.It only became more serious and much deeper with this RECESSION &INFLATION which, borrowing from Professor Paul Samuelson, we call RECESSFLATION .
> We used to have six (6) automobile plants. If a youth was told that as at 1985 when General Babangida took over from PMB, a Peugeot 504 from Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria, PAN, Kaduna was less than =N=5,000 Naira and a VOLSWAGEN BEETLE,the cheapest car, from the automobile plant along Lagos-Badagry Expressway was less than =N=3,000 Naira, the young person would not believe this and that 4 other automobile plants at ENUGU,ANAMCO ,was for Mercedes luxurious buses ,LEYLAND at Ibadan was for LANDROVER & RANGEROVER and two trucks assembly plants were in BAUCHI & KANO.NIGERIA was on INDEPENDENT PATH OF RAPID ECONOMIC/INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT until SAP destroyed it with NEO-LIBERAL FUNDAMENTALISM OR PARADIGM on which Late Prof Sam Aluko always opposed Late Prof Ojetunji Aboyade,a supporter of SAP and Special Adviser to General Babangida under whose and Prof Pat Utomi’s watch as Chairperson and Managing Director respectively, VOLKSWAGEN OF NIGERIA died.
> WHAT ARE FORCED EVICTIONS?
Definition by the UNO HABITAT
Forced eviction is “the permanent or temporary removal against their will of individuals, families and/or communities from the homes and/or land which they occupy, without the provision of, and access to, appropriate forms of legal or other protection” (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 7 (1997) on the right to adequate housing: forced evictions).
 Various elements, separately or combined, define a forced eviction:
– A permanent or temporary removal from housing, land or both;
– The removal is carried out against the will of the occupants, with or without the use of force;
– It can be carried out without the provision of proper alternative housing and relocation, adequate compensation and/or access to productive land, when appropriate;
– It is carried out without the possibility of challenging either the decision or the process of eviction, without due process and disregarding the State’s national and international obligations.
 THE COLLAPSE OF BOURGEOISDOM, KINGDOM OF THE CAPITALIST RULING CLASS-Death Agony of World Capitalism
 World Capitalism collapsed between 2007 and 2009 and was taken to the CASUALITY WARD .It went into COMA in 2009 and has been taken to the INTENSIVE CARE UNIT for more treatment. This explains the LONG DEPRESSION since 2009 engendered by the ORGANIC CRISIS OF CAPITALIST SYSTEM .Every sector of the world is grappling with crises which are manifestations caused by the organic crisis of capitalism at all levels: on the economic plane and its reflection on the political plane. Karl Marx made us to understand some laws in scientific socialism which he discovered more than 150 years ago in collaboration with his co-thinker, Freidrich Engels (Lenin and Trotsky, Co-leaders of the Russian REVOLUTION which began 100 years ago in February, 1917 during the first world war, THE SOCIALIST REVOLUTION WHICH LED TO THE FIRST HEALTHY WORKERS DEMOCRACY/WORKERS STATE UNDER LENIN AS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE SOVIET UNION, added another law to the ones discovered by Karl Marx).
 Crisis generated by forced evictions is just one of the crises or manifestations of the organic crisis of the capitalist system. Therefore, a holistic approach is adopted in interrogating factors responsible.
 What are these laws? 150 years ago, Karl Marx formulated the following laws: 1. LAWS OF CYCLICAL ECONOMIC CRISIS which used to have a cycle of 10 years, but now has a cycle of 5,6,7,or 8 years and never up to 10 years again.
 THE GREAT RECESSION OF 2008-2009 CAN NOW BE EXPLAINED BY THE SECOND LAW. 2. LAW OF THE TENDENCY FOR THE RATE OF PROFIT TO FALL as the GREAT RECESSION and the LONG DEPRESSION which followed it can only be explained by the second law, THE LAW OF PROFITABILITY, according to a London Professor, Comrade Michael Roberts, a British Professor of Mathematical Economics, Marxist Economic Theory and Political Economy, who authored books entitled: ’THE GREAT RECESSION’’ and ‘’LONG DEPRESSION’’.
 3. The third law, LAW OF COMBINED AND UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT, was propounded by Lenin and Trotsky to explain the highest stage of capitalism which they called IMPERIALISM. It was also applied to explain why revolution could take place in backward countries before advanced countries contrary to what Marx and Engels predicted.4.LAWS OF DIALECTICS form the set of LAWS which explain that SOCIAL REVOLUTION is possible. They are :a.Everything changes and in perpetual motion;b.Law of Unity and struggle of opposites;c.Law of THESIS,ANTI-THESIS AND SYNTHESIS;d.Law of quantitative change transforming to qualitative change,etc.
 The 1979/1999 CONSTITUTION in Chapter Two and laws enacted by the Federal Government encapsulate ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS (ECOSOC Rights).’’FUNDAMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY’’ also envisage SYSTEM CHANGE to a new SOCIAL ORDER
 The constitution furthermore makes it mandatory for political parties to be registered under section 224 to have their manifestos conform to the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy which led Comrade Femi Aborisade, a lawyer, legal adviser to TUC and Marxist to deliver this lecture: Presentation at the ACN Induction/Training For National Assembly Members-Elect Held on 26th May, 2011 at Osogbo
 I hereby quote him.‘’The topic, “Budgeting for maximum social advantage” shows a concern to make the welfare of the people the primary essence of governance. It is a revolutionary topic because on an international scale today, the norm is to use state power against the interest of the common people. The agenda of the so called international community, the IMF/World Bank is to compel governments, internationally, and particularly, in the so called ‘developing’ countries to protect the greed of the rich at the expense of the need of the poor.’’
 ‘’It is therefore important to appreciate and understand the economic history of how we arrive at this unprecedented stage – the neoliberal economic phase – in which wholesale protection of private capital without any pretence for the outright neglect of the need of ordinary people has become the creed of governance, not only in Nigeria, but internationally’’
 We ,as AAC have, in addition to our slogan of take it back include REVOLUTION NOW AS AN IDEOLOGICAL WAR AGAINST PARTIES OF THE RULING CLASS,APC,APGA,PDP,E.T.C!!! THANK YOU