BY NIYI ABORISADE
I welcome you all to this New Year 2019. This is a year of election in Nigeria and the choice we make will determine our lots for the next four years or beyond. Some younger ones who were not able to vote in 2014 but have now reached 18 years old are eligible to vote and it will be the first time that they will be exercising their franchise. Definitely, it will be an excited time for them to make their own choice as their future depends on the choice they made.
The beauty of democracy is the power of choice to determine our leaders in a free and fair election in the real sense of democracy.
It is now the citizens’ responsibility to ensure that we have a free and fair election. The participation of the citizens and contribution is very important and the youths in particular.
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW): Over the years, Nigerian politicians have been using leaders and members of NURTW as thugs and guards during election period from the days of Adebayo Ogundare a.k.a ‘Adebayo Success’. He was the president of NURTW from 1979 to 1984 and was employed by National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Ogundare was the ‘Commander-in-Chief’ of thugs for NPN and in his days, thugs were offered Police uniform to terrorize the country. Lagos was the capital of Nigeria then and he was based at Lagos. Commuters in motor parks were forced to chant ‘NPN’ and ‘One Nation’ (the slogan of NPN) before commercial vehicles were allowed to move from the motor parks.
It was a reign of terror as several people lost their lives as a result of this ugly scenario. Elections were rigged and only the steadfastness and progressive reign of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) under Governor Lateef Jakande ensured that Lagos State did not fall into the hands of NPN. Adebayo Success reign of terror guided by NPN’s national government was terminated by the military coup of 1984 that ushered in the administration of General Muhammad Buhari (retd) as Military Head of State. Ogundare Success was sent to gaol and was later released. He was abandoned by his sponsors and reduced to nothing and became nothing. He died in 2002 at the age of 61. No one even remember him not even thinking that he lived to the millenium.
In 2010, Alhaji Lateef Salako a.k.a Eleweomo was the chairman of NURTW in Oyo State and the Commander in Chief of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala thugs who was then Governor of Oyo State under the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There was issue between Chief Alao-Akala and Senator Teslim Folarin who was then the Senate Leader at the upper house of the National Assembly. Chief Alao-Akala commanded Elewomo to invade Ona-Ara local government in Oyo State, a constituent of Senator Folarin where the senatorial primary election of PDP was holding. Report alleged that he was commissioned to disrupt the primary election, an act which Senator Folarin got wind of. The terror being perpetrated by Eleweomo at his constituency got to the other side of the former Senate Leader and was reported to had led his own regiment that comprised of thugs and police to dislodge the invaders and in the scuffle that ensued, Eleweomo’s lieutenants deserted him when confronted by the well organized regiment of Senator Folarin, he was isolated and fell under hail of bullets. It was three days to his housewarming and big cows have been tied down in the new house in preparation for the ceremony. Eleweomo did not rise again. Today Chief Alao-Akala is contesting to become Governor again whilst Folarin is re-contesting to become a Senator again. More So, their children are doing well enjoying the money their parents have accumulated when they were in power but Eleweomo’s children have lost their father and the wives have lost their husband. He was just a tool and inconsequential.
So when politicians call on you this time of election to use you as thugs, remember Eleweomo and tell them you are not a thug but a responsible professional and good citizen of Nigeria. Please “Say No to them.”
Youth
This is the time that the politicians will be recruiting the youths as thugs to steal votes to cause disruption, to kill and to be killed for their own selfish ends. These crooked politicians have their children studying abroad using their ill gotten wealth that they have acquired to send them abroad. It is now incumbent upon the youth to turn down any offers to be used as thugs, refuse to be tempted with money, life is worth more than gold. This is your responsibility as youth. Remember the death of Eleweomo and “Say No to them.”
Electoral Officers: politicians will entreat and entice you with money to circumvent the electoral process so that their preferred candidates would win election and be sworn in, it is your duty to say no and refuse the offer, think of the future of your children and family members and do not sell your conscience because of money. Those who paid to circumvent election will of course continue to plunder the country. Don’t be a tool of wickedness. You are a good citizen of this country, “Say No Them.”
Police officers/security: remember your duty is to safeguard the country and protect the citizens and in the day of election, you are there to see that things run smoothly, don’t allow yourselves to be used by politicians to intimidate the voters. The future of your children depends on who governs the country, when they offer you money, refuse it, you are a good citizen of this country please “Say No to Them.”
Voters: the politicians are ready to spend money to buy your conscience by bribing you to silence your conscience, they know you have power to make that change and that is why they want to buy you and turn you to their slaves. For the next four years, you will not even come to their mind because you have sold yourselves to them and you are no longer relevant to them and therefore when they come to you with their money , summon the courage to refuse, you are a good citizen of this country, please “Say No to Them.”
To see a better Nigeria, we all have responsibility to bring positive change and Nigeria will be better.
- Niyi Aborisade is the President, National Movement For Positive Change (NMPC), Worldwide, and writes from the United Kingdom (UK).
