I See Politics As A Call To Service,
Not Money Making Venture- Wole Adedoyin
Wole
Adedoyin is the governorship card bearer of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in
Osun state. He is to contest against other political parties in the next Osun
State governorship election scheduled for 22nd of September, this year. In this
interview with ABDULHAFEEZ T. OYEWOLE, he speaks, among other things, on what
him and his party is bringing to the people of Osun state when becomes
victorious at the poll.
Who
is Wole Adedoyin in your state political space?
Wole
Adedoyin is a Nigerian from Osun state. I’m a political activist and core
democrat. My late grandfather, Prince Ogini Adedoyin and my late father, Prince
Albert Aderemi Adedoyin were both practical politicians. Of recent when I was
searching our family house in Ilesa, I saw my grandfather’s Action Group’s
membership card. I am currently with my father’s UPN and SDP membership cards
too. I take it with me to wherever I go. My father and grandfather were both
followers of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Politics
to me flows in our blood. My father was the PRO of UPN for some times. He was
very active and dedicated. I am following his footsteps. Politics to me is a
vocation. It is not a profession. I have my own job. I’m a writer, journalist,
blogger, programmer, computer analyst, theologian and photographer. I started
my politics in Osun State barely four years ago after the demise of my late
dad. It was an agreement between me and him that I should return to Osun state
and continue my politics since that place is our state of origin.
We are from
Ilesa. Though I was born and bred in Ibadan, Oyo state capital. When I got back
to Osun, I transferred my Voter’s Card and got other necessary documents like
Certificate of Origin and so on.
What
I just noticed is that if you don’t participate in politics you won’t be
contented and be complaining with the way our rulers and leaders are governing
us. You know there is an adage which says if you can’t meet them, then you join
them. My brother in person of Dcn. Tolulope Adedoyin contested for the Oyo
State House of Assembly (Ibadan North Constituency 1) on the platform of the
African Peoples Alliance (APA) in the last 2015 election. He really performed
well. He came fourth out of the nine contestants.
I
know you as a young Nigerian writer, when did you dabble into politics and for
what reasons?
Before
going into politics, I was the National Coordinator of the Conference of Young
Nigerian Democrats and the National Secretary of Good Governance and
Transparency Club. The Conference of Young Nigerian Democrats was
affiliated with the Global Youth Service Day of America. The aim of the club
was to create a forum where youth and interested participant can share,
brainstorm and ruminate about problems facing youths in their communities and
professions. We later diverted our interest into politics and we compelled all
members to join any political parties of their choice. That was around 2004. I
was then championing youth participation in politics and encouraging youth to
show interest in politics.
Before
my foray into politics, I was into activism under Comrade Laoye Sanda. I do
visit him in his house where he would lecture me basics and principles of
Socialism. I was into full activism for three solid years before joining the
Progressive Action Congress (PAC), a registered political party then under the
National leadership of Chief Nwodo. I was then made the Ibadan North Local Government
Chairman of the party. I served the party for six months before joining the
major opposition party in the state then, the Action Congress (AC) as ward
Secretary. When my ward Chairman then was impeached for no reasons, I resigned
my membership of the party and went back to the Progressive Action Congress but
not as Ibadan North Local Government Chairman of the party again but as state
P.R.O.
After
leaving PAC, I joined African Renaissance Party (ARP) and later became their
state Secretary. My passion for socialism and the intervention of Comrade
Laoye Sanda made me to become a member of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)
under the national leadership of Alhaji Balarabe Musa. I was appointed in
acting capacity as State PRO and Secretary of the party in Oyo state. I was in
charge of the party’s correspondence with INEC. This also gave me direct access
to discuss with Alhaji Balarabe Musa. I was a member of Peoples Redemption
Party for a period of two solid years. I voluntarily resigned my membership when
some unserious people decamped into the party which later made the party
irrelevant and non-functioning. It was during my stay in Peoples Redemption
Party (PRP), I became the State Secretary of a coalition, called Coalition for
a New Nigeria (CNN) formed by Alh. Balarabe Musa, then to wrest power from the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Fifteen political parties were members
of this Coalition in Oyo State. This Coalition was used to wrest power from the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state then under the government of
Otunba Christopher Alao Akala.
We
actually worked for the current Governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaq Abiola
Ajimobi in 2011. I remembered that myself and Comrade Laoye Sanda were both in
his house a day before the 2011 governorship election. I was the State
Secretary; Comrade Laoye Sanda was the State Chairman, Chief Lamidi Apapa was
Vice Chairman, while Mr. Taiwo Ibrahim was our Publicity Secretary.
After
the Coalition, I was made the state Secretary of the Conference of Nigeria
Political Parties (CNPP) under the Arc. Oyeniyi led CNPP faction. During this
time Prof. Wole Soyinka had also registered his party called Democratic Front
for People Federation (DFPF), before the deregistration of the party. I was
made the party’s acting Secretary and later acting Chairman. I started playing
professional party politics when I was appointed the Oyo state Chairman of the
Peoples Mandate Party (PMP) under the national leadership of Prof. Edward. It
was through the party I attended my first UNDP programme. I was nominated by
the national Chairman of the party to represent him in the programme which took
place in Lagos. After the Peoples Mandate Party (PMP) was deregistered, I was
appointed the foundation acting Secretary of the United Progressive Party (UPP)
under the national leadership of Chief Chekwas Okorie. I became an acting
Chairman of the party when the foundation chairman of the party was moved to
the national.
After
leaving the United Progressive Party (UPP), I was appointed the African Peoples
Alliance (APA) party’s Chairman. It was in this party I fielded my first
governorship and house of assembly candidates. I also emerged as the pioneer
Secretary of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC). After the last 2015
general election, I made up my mind to continue my political activism in my
state of origin, which is Osun state and where I am today.
When
I came to Osun State, It took me time to get a good political party with
masses-oriented ideology. When I went through the manifestoes of the Hope
Democratic Party, I felt happy and was interested to become a member of the
party. I later got to know that the party did not exist in the state. I got
this information through INEC when I went to make enquiry. With the kind
support of the National Chairman of the Party, Chief Ambrose Owuru, I brought
the party and was made the foundation Chairman of the party in the state.
How
do you see your emergence as the Governorship card-bearer of your party?
Well, this is great and not surprising at all. As I’ve told you before that
I’ve once fielded both the governorship and house of assembly candidates before
in the last general elections. It is a welcome development.
Why
did you decide to contest the seat?
It
is not because the current Governor is not doing well or the ruling party
blueprint is bad. I always admire Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. He has tried and done
his best. He is one of my favourite Governors in the country. He made Osogbo
what it is today because of his developmental blueprints. We know it is not
easy.
Innumerable accolades must be given to him. Ogbeni himself knows us well.
Whenever he does wrong we knock him and whenever he does right we praise him.
But we feel we can still do more on what he has done. We want to continue where
he stops.
Aregbesola
has opened the third eyes of Osun people that our state can be better if we
vote for the right people. This is the reason why I am contesting. Several
times, our party has commended Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for all the developmental
projects he is executing in the state and the free and fair parliamentary
elections he contested in the state earlier this year. With this, Ogbeni Rauf
Aregesola has proved his critics wrong with seen-and-believing projects all
spread over the nooks and crannies of Osun State. Also, another achievement of
Aregbesola led government is the peace, oneness and equality he brought to the
political party administration of the state. Governor Aregbesola sees all
political parties as equal, no record of government brutality against any
political party in the state since he has assumed power.
Have
you, in the past, contested or held any political position in Osun state?
No,
no, not at all. This is my first time and this is the first time my party will
be contesting too in Osun since it was registered in 2006. I don’t hold any
political position in the state, apart from being the current state Chairman of
my party, the Hope Democratic Party (HDP). I am also the Coordinator of Osun
Redemption Group (ORG) and Osun Democrats (OD). I equally coordinate literary
platforms like Osogbo Book Club (OBC) and Osogbo Writers Forum (OWF).
What
will be the topmost priority of your government when elected?
We
have designed our 5 PLAN REVOLUTION BLUEPRINT for a new Osun state, which are
(1) Agricultural and Industrial Revolution, (2) Health and Educational
Revolution, (3) Economic and Political Revolution, (4) Infrastructural and
Leadership Revolution, and (5) Cultural and Security Revolution.
We
developed this five plan Revolution Blueprint for our envisioned new Osun
State. The execution of this well-articulated welfarist programme is expected
to reverse in positive light the current or prevalent overtly negatively
adopted capitalist tendencies that has over time bred corruption in Osun State
and which also has over time grown into a cankerworm permeating all spheres of
the life of our people in the state, thereby stalling any sustainable developmental
projects such as funds for world class infrastructural development, good roads.
Steady jobs and general well fair of the Osun State citizenry are channeled to
private accounts breeding social injustice in the land, mass poverty and
disparities between the poor and the rich and which in turn breeds social
misfit and ready hands for crime, terrorist recruitment leading to insecurity
in the land. All these happened during the reigns of PDP in the state.
Can
you share your other agenda when elected by your people?
Several
occasions through our press releases and conferences, we have assured workers
and pensioners in the state that their welfare would be priority in our agenda
if voted in. We know that any government would not get effective services from
workers when they were poorly treated.
We
have also promised Osun state youths to create youth centers aimed at
educating, advocating, empowering and making them independent through
vocational and technical training in field like tailoring, catering, carpentry,
computer engineering, bakery, photography, lamination, computer operation, bead
making, videography, arts and crafts, publishing and others. We are already
consulting with experts and professionals in different professional fields on
logistics and financial implications of such venture. Housing and eradication
of poverty are other priorities in our agenda.
How
do you intend to achieve your said agenda?
Well,
I think we shouldn’t make that public now.
Our
audience will like to know about your party’s activities and how it’s being
funded?
Hope Democratic Party (HDP) was registered on November 10, 2006, later
de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2011, but was
later reinstated by a federal High Court judgment in 2015. HDP participated in
the last 2015 general elections. It was also one of the 14 political parties
that fielded presidential candidates in the last presidential election.
In
2015, Hope Democratic Party (HDP) developed five plan revolution blueprints for
its envisioned new Nigeria. The 5 plan revolution blueprints are Agricultural
and Industrial Revolution, Health and Educational Revolution, Economic and
Political Revolution, Infrastructure and Leadership Revolution and Cultural and
Security Revolution. We are currently running the party through donations and
subscriptions made by our card-carrying members.
Assuming
you don’t win at the poll, who will you prefer winning among your contenders
and why?
APC, of course. Of recent, our national headquarters alongside other parties
formed a coalition known as Coalition of Progressive Political Parties (CPPP).
CPPP is a pro APC coalition. We can’t be queried or questioned if at the end of
the day we work for APC. We shall support her candidate, Chief Gboyega Isiaka
Oyetola.
Let
us put sentiment and politics apart. This is a man with huge experience and
achievements. His profile speaks volume. We want the best and I can assure you
that Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola is the best for Osun state. So if we don’t win,
then definitely we will support Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola. We want the continuity
of Aregbesola’s giant strides. So if HDP can’t achieve that, then we will
support another candidate with the same goal.
What are your parting shots?
As
for me, I don’t see politics as money making venture. I see it as a call to
service. Youth of nowadays should also reason this way. On the Not Too Young To
Run! This initiative is not well executed. There should be an endowment fund
for this initiative. Many youths are interested in participating in politics
but lack of funds hinders them. I know how much I have spent for me to clinch
my party’s ticket. Where ever you go people ask for money for them to do one or
two things for you. It will be a good idea if the initiators of NOT TOO YOUNG
TO RUN can set up a fund, something like Youth in Politics Endowment Fund,
where serious youth in politics can apply for assistance. Nothing is free in
any political party. This will make a lot of sense. Unless only the children of
the rich people will be benefiting from this initiative. And there should be an
enforcement body or committee that will make sure that INEC and political
parties actualize this goal.
