By Nimi Princewill.
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, in this interview with INSIDER.
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 advise 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 oldbie 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 reprogramme 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 commatose 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 guber election?
Dissapointed? Personally, there is nothing that can give me surprise when it comes to human beings and their funny behaviours. How can I be dissapointed 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 Guber 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 Gov. A.A 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 Executive Chairmen across the 16 LGAs 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 to 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 life time, 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 to 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 manipulators and Pharaohs! 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! Come and join the rise of Great Minds! Come and join the transparent and egalitarian party of ideologies; ANRP!!!
Ensure the peaceful co-existence of Kwara is your pursuit, stop being used as tools for violence in the hands of ‘politrickers’. Get involved now; words of mouth alone cannot do it.
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Note: INSIDER Newspapers wishes to exert its right as the copyright owner of this interview. No part of it should therefore be used or quoted without appropriate credit given to the publication.
God bless you more sir, Mr Ade…. God bless Kwara, God bless Nigeria.
Your guber candidate wants the best for the state and decided to join the party that he felt could achieve that dream and thank God they did and the whole state is feeling positive don’t spoil it and all politicians are dubious you all are fighting for power and money so save us the drama
Those who are sent to just say something even if not objective are easily identify by their stance!
Which best does he wants for the state? Was the best came to him in a dream O we night?
Was the party he hurriedly jump to not there before he decided to run under ANRP?
Did you follow any of the programme and what he said against both AP. and PDP?
For your information, we are Nation Builders not Partisan and Carrier Politicians who sees Politics as a paid job and squadering public fund to enrich themselves at the detriment of Kwarans!
Please, follow us and our activities in ANRP both at the State and National level, and you will understand what we are set out for…
@Ade Alabi,between you and Dr Ajia,who is the user and opportunist. Before Dr Ajia joined your party,no one and i repeat, NO ONE knows or have heard anything about your party. He (Dr Ajia) brought your party to lime light. And ever since he left ,no one cares about your party anymore. You just have to drag his name into your mess,just to stay relevant. But he is not going to join issues with a pig like you. He doesn’t need ANRP to negotiate for any political appointment. Infact joining your party in my opinion has done him more harm than good. I think its time you crawl back into your shell,you loser. Last time I checked,its not a crime to leave a party and join another.