AAC in 2023 Elections ; all you need to know

AAC in 2023 Elections ; all you need to know

Considering the INEC time-table, the party leaders swung into action and ensured that all that’s  required of the party which includes submission of membership register, delegate list, mode of nomination to be adopted have been fulfilled by the party leadership and copies of acknowledgment from INEC are in the archive of the party.

As you may recall that the National Working Committee of our great party on 6th of May, 2022 announced the line-up of 2023 pre-election activities which has received massive acceptance by Nigerians, members and non-members inclusive.

The Activities includes the following-

Registration of Aspirants on the Expression of Interest portal  – https://aacparty.com/aspirant-application/ 

There are currently 109 Aspirants onboarded.

Note- The six-day extension by INEC announced on May 27, 2022 has made it now possible for people aspiring to run under the party to register as quickly as possible.  As an aspirant, please seize this opportunity to do the needful.

Leadership Meeting with Aspirants – 2 virtual meetings have held already and a loop has been created for continuous discussion. New aspirants will be added after registering on the portal link shared above.

Screening of Aspirants– A 7-person committee was inaugurated with Mrs Edith Isokpan chairing the Committee.
Note- This is a continuous process that has started already. Aspirants will proceed to screening after fulfilling financial responsibilities set by the National Working Committee. See details on financial responsibilities- https://aacparty.com/aspirant-confirmation-details/

Account Details –

African Action Congress

Zenith Bank 

1015977493


Date of Primaries
– June 2nd (All categories except Presidential position) and June 3rd (Presidential)

Note- Any extension will be properly communicated to registered aspirants.

Other very important Committees that have been inaugurated by the National Working Committee:

1. AAC-TIB Committee- To look at the state of the party structures across sub-nationals and advise accordingly.
2. AAC Manifesto Review- Change is constant and as the name implies, the Committee has been saddled with the responsibility of reviewing the manifesto of the party to continually be in the best interest of our people.
3. AAC-Labour Relations Committee- This committee has some of the finest labour activists who are reaching out to labour centers (The NLC, TUC, ULC) across the country on behalf of the party. Work is ongoing.

There is no gainsaying that we are on full throttle as we coast to victory come 2023.

For more information, please contact-

Comrade Philip  Oshiokue

(National Organizing Secretary) 07033155960

History Will Be Cruel To Tinubu, Bisi Akande, Gbajabiamila, Others Over Their Position On Yoruba Nation

History Will Be Cruel To Tinubu, Bisi Akande, Gbajabiamila, Others Over Their Position On Yoruba Nation

The umbrella body for Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, has criticised the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, and other APC leaders in the South-West leaders for opposing “separatist agitations”.

SaharaReporters had reported that Tinubu and some other APC leaders in the South-West, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila had opposed agitations for Yoruba Nation at a meeting on Sunday.

They however supported some of the resolutions made by the Southern Governors recently regarding open grazing and restructuring.

But Ilana Oodua through its spokesperson, Maxwell Adeleye, told The PUNCH Newspaper that the decision made by the APC leaders was unfortunate.

The group headed by Prof Banji Akintoye also told the APC leaders that “history will not be kind to them” for “opposing the wish of the people”.

“People need to correct this. It is not secession. What we are fighting for is the self-determination right of our people as guaranteed by the United Nations Charter on Human rights and even the 1999 constitution.

“It is our right to fight for self-determination. Tinubu and others are entitled to their opinions. Conduct a poll and you will see that a majority of Yoruba people want their own nation.

“It is unfortunate that Chief Bisi Akande is present where the yearning and aspirations of Yoruba people will be denied. If his mentor, the late Chief Bola Ige – is alive, will Bisi Akande say the things he read out yesterday?

“If the likes of Tinubu, Baba Akande because of their ambition, Baba Akande are not careful, history will not be kind to them for standing against the yearnings and aspirations of the people. Without the people, they cannot be leaders,” he said.

AAC Congratulates The #TakeItBack Movement Over the Election of Its National Officers

AAC Congratulates The #TakeItBack Movement Over the Election of Its National Officers

The African Action Congress congratulates the interim elected officers of the TakeItBack Movement. The AAC urges officers to continue the efforts already set in motion to reposition the movement for success.
“It is with great excitement the news of the election conducted to put in place an interim leadership to pilot the affairs of the global movement, TakeItBack, was received at the National Secretariat of the African Action Congress (AAC) on May 17, 2021.
“It could be recalled that a Structure Committee was put together post-election (2019 Nigeria general elections) and this committee has worked assiduously to come up with a document that highlights among a lot of things; the goals of the organization and the structure from the global level to the grassroots. We commend these sacrificial efforts.
“The AAC seizes this moment to congratulate all elected officers of this leadership and implore each to work in line with the adopted terms of reference which are:
– To pioneer the affairs of the movement democratically for the next 6 months.
– To work out the modalities that would be involved in putting in place a substantive leadership, which would then work in line with a globally adopted constitution.
“We reiterate that the AAC would continue to work with the TakeItBack movement as a partner in progress and development, towards taking back Nigeria and by extension Africa, from the claws of its wretched oppressors”. The party said in statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olorunfemi Adeyeye.
The elected officers and their positions:
Secretary-General:
Mr. Valentine Akaba
Deputy Secretary-General:
Mrs. Esther Oluyide
Financial Secretary:
Mr. Pius Omoregha
Treasurer:
Dr. Esther Ogunjimi
Welfare Director:
Mrs. Olatoun Williams
Director of Communications and PR:
Dr. Chidi Nwanyawu
Director Media/IT:
Mr. Davidson ArugbaJoye
Director Of Political Affairs:
Mr. Juwon Sanyaolu
Director of Legal Affairs:
Barr Larry Osagie
Director Of Mobilization:
Mr. Gbola Owoborode
Femi Kuti Threatens To Sue Tinubu, APC Over Use Of Fela’s Trademark For 2023 Presidential Campaign

Femi Kuti Threatens To Sue Tinubu, APC Over Use Of Fela’s Trademark For 2023 Presidential Campaign

The family of the popular Human Rights Activist and Afrobeat pioneer, Late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has threatened to sue Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress for using the musician’s trademark on 2023 Presidential campaign T-shirts for the APC National Leader.

Fela KutiFe

Femi Kuti, the eldest son of the legendary musician, took to his Twitter page to call out the Nigerian politician’s campaigners and his political party the APC to desist from using the radical artiste’s name to promote Mr. Tinubu and his party; All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I have seen the tweet by @APCNigeria and confirm that use of Fela’s name on the T-shirts bearing the name “JAGABAN”  was never authorized. The family owns the trademark and the use constitutes an infringement and disregard of our legal rights.  The user is advised to cease and desist and to immediately delete this tweet,” Mr. Kuti said.

He stated further that the legend’s name should never be used to promote any political agenda of any sort, as the family does not align with any Nigerian political party.

“We are carefully assessing the situation and failure to comply with this demand will leave us with no other option but to explore any legal options” he added.

Fela’s family threatens to take legal actions against Tinubu and the APC if the parties fail to comply.

2019 ELECTIONS: WE MUST ALL DEMAND FOR A NEW PROCESS

2019 ELECTIONS: WE MUST ALL DEMAND FOR A NEW PROCESS

The just concluded 2019 elections were fraught with baggage familiar with Nigerian elections. First of the issues was the postponement of the elections over logistics, consequently deflating the interest of anticipating Nigerians.  Another was the President’s order to the military tasking them to shoot at sight any ballot-snatcher without any form of questioning or arraignment, and Nigeria, which once was grinded beneath military jackboot, did not hesitate to associate such plaguing of civilian communities with armed military personnel with terror. Also very troubling were the unimaginable terrors perpetuated by APC and PDP thugs across the nation. All these, amplified by social media among other factors, culminate into voters’ apathy.

The Advancement of Our Democracy and the Electioneering Process

But we associate our democracy with some seemly useful qualifiers. The most popular is its description as fledging. This qualifier forms the basis for some of our thinkers advocating for moderated expectations and mild interpretations of events. But one’s worry should be to answer the pertinent question of how the fledging would become mature and resilient to the vices of dangerous politicians and ploys. Ranges of lofty recommendations for the advancement of our democracy abound.  One is the abolition of one of the legislatives arm as proposed by the AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, arguing that the bicameral legislation is wasteful and slow. But while different recommendations abound, harrowing to attentive minds is the gory of the last Saturday elections – the violence – the electoral process that puts helpless citizens in harmful and precarious situation should be condemned and considered a crime.

But beyond the violence, social media pictures and videos show how different players hacked the current electoral process, perhaps the most telling is the clip of Aisha Buhari showing her husband, the current sitting president, who she voted for. The worst of the setbacks is the Polling Unit officers manually counting the votes and how manually the votes are aggregated, from LGA to FCT, shamefully taking over 48 hours to determine the winners of the elections. Yet, to advance our democracy, the urgency for all of us must be to re-imagine our electoral process for the emergence of a peaceful process that will not only be transparent but disallow all forms of intimidation while encouraging more participation of the Nigerian people and inclusion. But without deliberate and well organised mass based action such desired process will remain a mirage.

The Question of Electronic Voting (EV)

If electronic voting (EV) is adopted some, if not all, of the challenges will be overcome. With electronic voting, there will be no need of physical moving of ‘sensitive’ electoral materials to about 120, 000 polling units. This will therefore mean that elections won’t be postponed over logistics issues. EV will also come with the advantage of comfort and inclusion: since PVC already carries Polling Unit codes which is a derivates of State, Local Government, Ward and Polling Unit, votes can be easily aggregated by Polling Units without the voters having to travel to their polling units. But on the contrary, as at last elections, some people have to travel as far as 17 hours by flight in order to exercise their franchise. The possibility of EV also speaks to another advantage which is reduction of cost; the reduction of cost on the side of INEC and on the side of the voters. There could be online facility accessible by any computer or mobile device, or one may consider a possible reliance on already existing infrastructure i.e. the ATM machines. To further make a case for cost reduction, EV process will have no need of heavy deployment of security and the shutdown of socio-cultural and socio-economic process, therefore, people can still go ahead and have their business meetings while elections are going on and also people can have their marriage ceremonies without hitch while elections are going on. In addition, all the elections can be held in one day and collation of result could be done in less than 24 hours. And most importantly, EV will completely remove all forms of violence and voters intimidation since voters will not be required to converge to a particular location in order to exercise their civic right.

Why Not Electronic Voting

The demand for EV is not a new demand. What it lacks over time is the ability to garner critical mass support. Staring at the campaigners are huddles like constitutional reforms, adoption of voters and accessibility of such platform to uneducated Nigerian. The way to think about this is around useful statistics that may inform the possibility for its adoption. For example, as at January 2018, the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) reported that mobile phone users are about 146 million. This figure when merged with over 92 million internet users reported by Statista (2019) provides rare and interesting opportunities for more voters inclusion. This span of individuals included in the aforementioned data exceeds the number of voters we’ve recorded for elections since 1999. They can be educated on how to use the EV platform and how it works. They are also large number of Nigerians that can be expanded through voters education to be more representative of the Nigerian diversity. One lesson staring at us is that, giving the death toll of about 250 individuals, the maiming and stabbing, the last weekend elections struggle to garner only about 27 million voters, a figure that bares a shameful mark of decline. But for our nation to reach the utopia of election success, all actions must start right now to surmount the challenges and demand adoption of a better process such as EV. 

Omoyele Sowore with Femi and Yeni Kuti; At the New Afrika Shrine.

Omoyele Sowore with Femi and Yeni Kuti; At the New Afrika Shrine.

Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, was at the NEW AFRIKA SHRINE with Femi and Yeni Kuti, the children of the great Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the musical taliban and an ardent Pan-Africanist.
The celebration at the shrine last night was lit and filled with absolute fun and communal spirit of love for Africa and show of patriotism for Nigeria.
Femi and Yeni Kuti had some wonderful time on the couch at the New Afrika Shrine with Omoyele Sowore.


During the conversation, Femi talked about the poor situation of the Nigerian health system and how it is probable that even President Buhari could not boast of his safety at the presidential villa, Aso Rock.


He was quoted saying “Buhari does not trust his own life in Aso Rock”.
While the discussion was ongoing, Yeni scornfully pointed out to viewers that Atiku Abubakar, without remorse, vouch to sell NNPC to private individuals, his friends in particular.He said, during one of his interviews that he would enrich his friends.Replying an interviewer, Atiku was quoted saying rethorically “Are my friends not entitled to be rich?”.


Meanwhile, Femi while talking about the poor state of the Nigerian health institution, related a story of what ensued at the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital, LUTH in Idi-Araba, Mushin Loca Government Area.

He talked about the situation at the hospital at Fela’s death, how there was no space in the morgue to store the corpse of the Afrobeat and revolutionary icon prior his burial.He recounted that there were so many corpses on the floor in the morgue and there was no place to put Fela, the personnels in charge had to pull out a corpse from the freezer in replacement for Fela’s corpse, in respect of him.
Femi described the incident as infuriating, but he was disgusted and flabbergasted, so he could not say nor do anything about it.
This reminds us of one of Fela’s best songs titled “CONFUSION BREAK BONE” with the chorus “DEAD BODY GET ACCIDENT”. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Femi and Yeni Kuti also raised concerns about the African culture, especially how a lot of Africans are living with a colonial mentality and how so many white men and women make jest of Africans for being inferior and glorifying other people’s cultures above theirs.
Femi recalled a condescending event that took place in a certain white country while he was traveling back to Nigeria sometime ago. He recounted that some white women were mocking some black women for wearing artificial hair all in the bid to look white. I was not happy with what i witnessed, i noticed it, but i don’t think the black women noticed it, he said.
The Afrobeat musician said, if he would endorse any candidate for the presidency, it would be Omoyele Sowore.
The general elections is scheduled to hold this Saturday, we therefore urge Nigerians to not only vote, but to vote the right candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and not limit our options to the devil and the deep blue sea.
It Is Time To Take Our Country Back, with Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, AAC.

Buhari and Atiku APC/PDP; Two Sides Of The Same Coin; Omoyele Sowore’s AAC, The Only Alternative For A Better Nigeria.

Buhari and Atiku APC/PDP; Two Sides Of The Same Coin; Omoyele Sowore’s AAC, The Only Alternative For A Better Nigeria.

Amidst the rumbles of the upcoming 2019 general elections, in the hope of electing a new President for the most populous country in Africa and the 7th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of

200,962,417 and a yearly change of 2.60 percent [ according to worldometers ]. Nigerians all over the world [ including the international community] are very much concerned with the outcome of the upcoming general elections on Saturday, the 16th of February, this year.
Meanwhile, The Guardian Newspaper, London, published a very interesting article on Monday, the 11th of February, 2019. The article read thus;


Nigeria’s 84 million voters will go to the polls next weekend to give their verdict on Muhammadu Buhari. The country is Africa’s most populous, and by some measures has the largest economy on the continent. Nigeria celebrated Mr Buhari’s election in 2015 as not only a resounding rejection of the unpopular Goodluck Jonathan but also the first democratic transition since the return of civilian rule in 1999.

Unfortunately, the highlight of Mr Buhari’s presidency appears to have been the gaining of it. The economy struggles, and his pledges to curb rampant corruption have been applied to political opponents. Insecurity remains a pressing issue: notably, Boko Haram appears to be resurging despite the government’s repeated assurances that it has beaten the extremist group, and a spreading herder-farmer conflict has killed thousands. The president’s extended absence overseas, for medical treatment, prompted such persistent rumours of his death and replacement by a body double that he felt obliged to tell voters: “It’s the real me, I assure you.”

A country with a median age of 18 faces, it would appear, an uninspiring choice between two septuagenarian political veterans. The slate of candidates is lengthy – helped by a 2018 reform which lowered the age limit for presidential candidates to 35 from 40. But the only serious rival to Mr Buhari and his All Progressives Congress party is the business tycoon and former vice-president Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic party. Both men are Fulani Muslims from the north, and have chosen running mates from the south. Mr Buhari headed the military junta in the 1980s and now describes himself as a “converted democrat”. But Mr Abubakar has won the backing of an influential bloc including former military heads of state. Supporters portray him as an energetic contrast to the ineffective incumbent; opponents highlight corruption allegations, including a 2010 US Senate report which said that he and one of his wives had wired $40m of “suspect funds” into American accounts. Mr Abubakar denies the claims.- The Guardian UK, Monday, 11th February, 2019.

While it is obvious that neither of the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party is capable of making Nigeria a nation to be proud of in the league of developed nations.

Omoyele Sowore, of the African Action Congress, AAC is the only Presidential candidate among all, that is prepared and determined to make Nigeria the true giant of Africa and a country to be reckoned with in the world, especially in the United Nations and among developed countries of the world.

AAC; TAKE IT BACK!!!

SOWORE CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO INEC’S POSTPONEMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

SOWORE CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO INEC’S POSTPONEMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Nigerians awoke to a familiar nightmare – the sudden cancellation of elections that both the government and its electoral agencies had four years to prepare for. The failure to successfully hold elections whose dates were known four years in advance, speaks to the complete ineptitude and lack of transparency of the Buhari regime.

We have seen this script before. In 2011 and 2015, our electoral process was similarly thrown into chaos by last-minute shifts in the election dates under the Jonathan-led PDP government. By repeating the same failures, Buhari’s APC government has now demonstrated to Nigerians that there is no difference in values between itself and the former PDP administration. This is yet another example of the fact that the two establishment parties, APC and PDP, are both two sides of the same bad coin.

Nigerians must not become numb to this travesty. No one would tolerate such ineptitude in their own personal affairs. Millions of Nigerians travelled to ensure that they were in place to participate in the elections. Businesses and commercial activities have been disrupted, and the sacrifices of tens of millions of Nigerians who had readied themselves to go to the polls and effect a positive change in the trajectory of the nation has been dashed – albeit temporarily.

The complicity of Buhari’s APC government in this last minute shift in the electoral process is clear for all to see. If this administration had no hand in this callous postponement, their condemnation would have been swift and their denunciation of INEC’s actions would have been screamed from every mountain top. The APC was quick to denounce similar actions taken by the Jonathan-led PDP administration in 2015. Their silence on this occasion is deafening.

The African Action Congress, our presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the Nigerian people are not deterred. Positive change and true transformation is coming to Nigeria, and whether it happens on the 16th or the 23rd of February, it will happen. We ask all of our supporters and party members to stay the course, reenergise their engagements in their communities, and help to ensure an even bigger turnout for freedom next week.

Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi
DG, Sowore 2019 Campaign.

Sowore Challenges Social Media Users; ‘You have to drop your devices and get on your feet.’

Sowore Challenges Social Media Users; ‘You have to drop your devices and get on your feet.’

By Sename Kojah

The call was made by Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore while speaking on the “Holding Government Accountable” panel at the Social Media Week which held at The Landmark Event Center, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Young Nigerians have been asked to move from holding people in positions of authority to account on social media alone and drop their devices, get on their feet and save the country.

Sowore who is also founder of Sahara Reporters, a citizen journalism outfit, said ” I can tell you that nothing has worked as much as social media in Nigeria in terms of holding government accountable because it is beyond their reach; it is accountability beyond borders but I have to say that it has its own downside to the extent that if you think social media has all the power and you don’t do what is necessary next, government starts to adjust to social media, and so you must move from just revealing everything and holding them accountable. For you to have the best result, you have to drop your devices and get on your feet, and that was why social media was powerful in Egypt but until the Egyptians dropped their devices, they couldn’t have the Arab Spring”.

Sowore called on young people to work hard by ensuring that they get their PVC’s, vote and monitor the process around the election to ensure that there is an “Equatorial Spring” in Nigeria that will usher in a new era of politics in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He encouraged, “a new generation of Nigerians who are children of democracy. They are the secret to defeating the old brigands. The thing that happened with voters is a planned thing; they knew there are 22 million students who are voters, they had to keep you out of your school because they know that you are the angriest Nigerians and you are about to punish them with your vote regardless of what they have done to you. Please find your way to your polling unit and vote these guys out”.