Kehinde Akintola – Abuja
The immediate past Chairman of the House of Representatives on Financial Crimes, Hon. Kayode Oladele, on Friday, expressed optimism that the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency will usher in the progressive era that would engender widespread development, modernization of physical infrastructure, and rejig the nation’s security architecture.
Hon. Oladele, who is a Public Interest Lawyer and former Campaign for Democracy/NADECO Activist, gave the assertion during an exclusive interview with Saturday Tribune.
In his prediction of what to expect in the coming years under the President’s elect, Hon. Oladele stated that he has “no doubt that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidency will usher in the progressive era which we have been denied for decades.
“I believe he will focus on widespread development and modernization of our physical infrastructure, promote socio-economic renaissance, enhance our digital economy, develop science and technology, improve our educational system and health services, and encourage women and youth development while at the same time, rejig our security architecture, combat corruption, reform the justice sector to protect our fundamental rights and civil liberties and prevent waste and inefficiency in government.
“I believe his administration will redefine the shape and character of progressive politics and leadership in Nigeria.
“I will, therefore, like to appeal to all Nigerians to rally round the President-elect and give him the necessary cooperation he needs at this crucial time to bring about a new Nigeria of our dream,” he concluded.
While responding to the political voyage of the President-Elect, Hon. Oladele observed that: “Since 1999, Nigeria has not been governed by a center-left progressive leader, particularly by any member of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) which organized the first massive mass resistance against the annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential election won by late Chief MKO Abiola .
Also, the sit-at-home protests led to the crippling of the economy and the collapse of the Chief Ernest Shonekan – led Interim National Government (ING) or the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
The broad coalition of Nigerian pro-democracy activists was later founded to fight for the actualization of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election through the continuation of national mass protests and aggressive international campaigns against the Nigeria junta, which eventually led to the crumbling of the military dictatorship in 1999.
He expressed optimism that, as one of the major players in the struggle against the military dictatorship in Nigeria in the 90s and a former National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) frontline, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency will soon define the shape of progressive politics in Nigeria.
According to Hon. Oladele, many center-left progressives, starting from late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, late Malam Aminu Kano, and most recently, the late Chief M.K.O Abiola had failed in their presidential bids, which, if successful, could have ushered in the progressive era and moved the country forward in the areas of education, science, and technology and fix security, health, and our socio-economic challenges.
Hon. Oladele also stated that in the second republic, only the Unity Party (UPN) of Nigeria, led by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) led by Malam Aminu Kano, had the most coherent plan of action and welfarist programs that could have promoted the much-needed ideals of social democracy in the country, lack of which has been the major cause of upticks in the security and socio-economic challenges we are currently facing as a nation today.
“The struggle by the progressives to establish social democracy in Nigeria had been long and thorny. For instance, in the second republic, Chief Awolowo campaigned nationwide.
“He spent a significant amount of time in the north canvassing and promoting his welfarist manifesto centered on the development of man, free education for all, free medical treatment, full employment integrated as well as progressive program for the development of rural roads and schools and so on while Malam Aminu Kano also made similar efforts promoting his socialist ideology under the umbrella of the Peoples Redemption Party which enjoyed the backing of the Nigerian workers and labor leaders.
“Unfortunately, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Malam Aminu Kano could not garner enough votes to win the presidential election, which was won by the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a far-right candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).”
He stated further: “In 1993, late Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party presented yet another loaded welfarist manifesto, ‘Hope 93’ with a slogan ‘Farewell to Poverty’ that gave a positive future for the country. Abiola enjoyed popular support across the country and all geo-political zones, including labour and religious organizations
“Yet, his election, regarded as the fairest and freest in the country, was annulled by the military conservatives, thereby foreclosing the country’s hope for a progressive era. The rest is history.
“Without being immodest and as one of the pro democracy activists at the time, I witnessed the invaluable support and great contributions of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the struggle nationally and internationally.
“The history of modern Democratic struggle in Nigeria cannot be completed without mentioning his considerable contributions to the struggle when we were in the trenches.
“Many of today’s youths may not understand or connect with this because some of those who were witnesses to the dark days of military dictatorship and how we achieved our democracy through the patriotic struggle by pro-democracy activists and the price we had to pay to attain our democracy are now the ones distorting history for their selfish interests.
“We didn’t just achieve our democracy on a platter of gold. Many paid the ultimate price, many were arrested, tortured, and incarcerated without trial, many were harassed and forced out of the country, while many disappeared without traces. The situation at the time was beyond belief, to say the least.
“That is why we must protect our democracy and allow those with the vision to lead us,” he noted.
