In this interview, the Kwara State Chairman of the Abundant Nigeria
Renewal Party (ANRP), Mr Ade Alabi speaks on the party’s unimpressive
showing at the 2019 general elections, and his assessment of Governor
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s first 100 days in office. Excerpts:
Is it necessary to create more political parties in Nigeria,
considering their unimpressive showing at the 2019 general elections?
In my opinion, it’s not necessary. And my advice is for the electoral
umpire to look into the activities of all registered political parties
with a very strict measure. There are many of these political parties
that have no offices in state capitals of the federation. They have no
presence neither do they have any relevance in the political corridor
other than for business purposes. It’s a pity many political players
are commercialising the system and are using political parties to
negotiate for money and positions. This tells you that many of them
lack political ideologies. It’s unfortunate that (aside from the APC
and PDP) many among the so called 71 parties who participated in the
election were sponsored by some big-wigs in few of the prominent
political parties. They see it as a strategy to neutralize the power
and electoral value of the other parties they perceive may pose threat
to their success at the ballot. And they plan all these unethical acts
long before the time so as to cause political brouhaha and set the
electorates into confusion, such that, they won’t have any other
option than to opt for the two leading parties. These were the hidden
handiwork of the oldie parties.
The ANRP came a distant 36th in the 2019 presidential election, having
garnered only 4,340 votes nationwide. What does that mean for the
party?
A critical study of the ANRP manifesto will tell you straightaway and
without ambiguity that, the party is a party of ideologies. That, the
party scored such low votes in the Presidential election is proof
that, we as a party have serious work to do in order to re-programme
the electorates’ mentality and mindset on ‘politics of money’ at the
detriment of good governance. The truth is that, our political leaders
in their atrocities deliberately created the artificial poverty so the
electorates can sell out their voting power for a pot of pottage! To
advance our renewal and renaissance struggle in the political terrain,
ANRP happens to be the first political party to have post election
review at the National level in order to evaluate performance during
the last 2019 general election and to proffer solutions and suggest
the way forward to give the current administration a good fight so as
to rescue Nigeria from the comatose and abyss state of the economy.
Were you disappointed when the Kwara ANRP guber candidate, Dr.
AbdulMumeen Yinka Ajia, decamped to the APC six days to the 2019
gubernatorial election?
Disappointed? Personally, there is nothing that can give me surprise
when it comes to human beings and their funny behaviours. How can I be
disappointed in a pseudo, phony and opportunist individual who was
looking for an avenue to manipulate his way to an exotic seat?
Manipulation and pretence is not the answer.
Nigeria’s problem is a complex one and many Nigerians, particularly
those who claim they are on rescue mission of the suffering masses are
liars! They are worse than those they claim they want to replace. I
don’t want to dwell much on this simply because what he displayed
during the last election was unpatriotic and the character of an
ingrate. Determined to usher in a new paradigm, the ANRP came up with
and maintained without compromise many new initiatives which were
alien to our traditional politicians including our gubernatorial
candidate which he (Dr. AbdulMumeen) personally viewed as obnoxious
and toxic to his selfish hidden agenda but was tenaciously opposed by
the party executives. The pertinent question begging for answer here
is, should we allow an opportunist, a political prostitute and jobber
who was cunningly looking for a platform to use as negotiation for
self elevation and convincingly thought he had found one?
How would you rate Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration so far?
As a patriotic Kwaran, I’ll give kudos to Governor Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq on very few moves of his leadership and governance style.
However, I’m a Mathematician/Statistician; and in Mathematics, You
proof it; we believe it! Up to this moment, the basic and needed
governance parameters to convince me are apparently not in place! So,
to me the campaign manifestos of the ruling “O TO GE” government in
Kwara still remain a wish list until proven otherwise! It’s too early
to celebrate because sycophants, cabals, career politicians and
unrepentant party members who believe in ‘Spend Public Money’ on
politics and party loyalists are still very close to his corridor of
governance. There is also underground rancour of conflict of interest
which is not healthy for a state hoping for deliverance from
devastation and despondency. May God help Kwara.
The governor has made some tough and slightly unpopular decisions
since he assumed office. Do you think he’s on a vendetta mission?
What does the suspension of the elected Local Government Chairmen
across the sixteen local government areas amount to? I leave the
question to Kwarans to answer. He should please desist from toeing the
path of the old order! Kwarans are earnestly waiting for his reset
buttons to reposition the state for better standard of living. Upon
his swearing-in on May 29th, one of my fifteen counsels to him was:
“My Governor, it’s nefarious, undemocratic and uncivil to incarcerate
social groups or play politics of retaliation without established
convincing evidence and due process within the ambit of law.”
What’s the plan for your party in the next gubernatorial election in
Kwara State?
Kwarans should watch out for ANRP. We are coming very strong, and
strategies are on-going to ensure that the freedom, renewal and
renaissance struggle of Kwara is accomplished come next elections,
starting from Local Government Election.
Does the ANRP hold any political position anywhere in the country?
None yet! And reasons were mentioned earlier. We also plead with the
9th Assembly at both the Green and Red Chambers to pass the Electoral
Reform law without further delay.
You’re a big believer of the need for a revolution in Nigeria. Does
your party agree with you?
Yes! We are Nation Builders. My party agrees with me because ours is
not partisan politics but revolutionary politics.
What are your personal ambitions?
I have no personal ambitions other than to see a renewed Kwara where
in our lifetime; the state will breathe the air of freedom and have a
taste of good governance. That’s why I nicknamed myself Mr. Freedom
Project.
Do you see yourself remaining in the ANRP?
My first party ever where I will be a card carrying member is ANRP,
though I have been following politics with interest and performing my
civic right for about 26 years. And because I’m not in ANRP for money
but rather to use what God has blessed me with to fight the freedom
and renewal fight; I will remain in the party. In fact, if you ask my
children their party, without hesitation, they will reply you ANRP!
In less than 5 years, you’ll be celebrating Golden Jubilee. What’s
your advice to young people in Kwara State?
To the young ones in the state, we cannot continue to entrust our
state in the hands of hands of (just anybody). Let’s rise up for the
struggle that will birth good governance and ensure we collectively
stop leaders who are mortgaging our future and say Enough is Enough!
People must come and join great minds and a transparent and
egalitarian party of ideologies which is the ANRP. The youth should
ensure and pursue the peaceful co-existence of Kwara and stop being
used as tools for violence in the hands of ‘politrickers’. They must
get involved now because words of mouth alone cannot do it.
Culled from Insider
