ABOUT
30 years after its structures were rested, some young loyalists of the
late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the founder of the Oodua Peoples
Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun, have finalised plans to reactivate
the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
Already, they have created 10 committees and constituted a four-man
interim officers to accelerate the process of registering the party by
the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC).
They include committees on: constitution review; programmes and
policies review; contacts and mobilization; research, publications and
publicity; ways and means; mass organisations; women empowerment; state
caucus; national caucus and board of trustees.
The party, founded by Chief Awolowo in the Second Republic,
controlled states like Ondo, Ogun, Lagos; old Oyo and defunct Bendel
that was split into Edo and Delta states. It was the main opposition at
the federal parliament until the military coup of January 1, 1983.
Formed on a clear ideological inclination, the UPN implemented six
cardinal programmes: free education, free health, full and gainful
employment, rural integration and development, functional transportation
system, all which were in tandem with UPN’s precursor, the Action Group
[AG] of the First Republic.
The young Awoists said the time was auspicious for them to embark on
the new journey owing to what they observed as the absence of
progressive tendencies among most members of the present political
elite.
They explained that they had since been holding consultations with
“older Awoists, irrespective of their political affiliation, on our
decision and intention, as well as to solicit their moral and material
support in the new struggle.”
According to them, “the UPN, when registered, can collaborate with
other progressive elements and associations across the country with the
purpose of acquiring political power for good governance, national
development and progress.”
Information obtained by the Nigerian Tribune showed that the
initiators, some of whom came in from Europe, United States and other
parts of the world to underscore the importance of the project, met last
Thursday in Lagos and agreed in principle to facilitate the process of
the registration of UPN preparatory to the 2015 elections.
At the end of the meeting, they appointed some interim officers with
the task of contacting other progressive elements across the country
towards forming a formidable platform.
The interim national officers included Dr Fredrick Fasehun as
chairman; Comrade Bari Salau, chairman, Contact and Mobilisation
Committee; Comrade Ola Olateju, protem national coordinator and Alhaji
Abubakar Sokoto as the protem national deputy coordinator/chairman for
the North-West.
According to a document detailing the structure and programme and
other major action plans of the party, the decision to reactivate UPN is
predicated on lack of character by the existing parties, coupled with
perceived inept leadership in the country.
The document stated, “After careful observation of the nation’s
transition from military rule to civilian regime in 1999, we the young
Awoists noticed with regrets that Nigeria as a country remains within
the grip of political merchants whose interest is different from
invigorating national, political, economic and social development.
“As politicians and activists of genuine tendencies of Awoism, we
resolved at our maiden meeting to accept the responsibility of salvaging
the country and democracy by picking the baton of liberating our
suffering masses from poverty, poor and corrupt leadership at all
levels, ignorance and disease from where the late sage Chief Obafemi
Awolowo and his reliable and trustworthy lieutenants left it in 1983.
“We observe that the current level of political decadence in the
country does not provide room for a single progressive party to go it
alone, or be able to muster enough strength to emancipate the people
throughout the six geo-political zones. This is due largely to the
polarisation of the political space by religion, ethnicity, poverty and
the craze for political patronage.
“Furthermore, we are yet to see any significant difference in all the
major political parties in terms of ideology, governance, internal
democracy and moral uprightness apart from their nomenclatures, logos
and propaganda.
“In view of this, we are strongly of the opinion that there is a need
to re-activate and register the Unity Party of Nigeria to provide
genuinely transparent, honest, selfless, truly hardworking, purposeful
and progressive leadership for which the masses have been yearning over
the years.
“This is done with the view of genuinely transforming the nation and
liberating the masses from the shackles of poverty, ignorance and
disease, all of which have combined to undermine political emancipation
and national development, and also inhibited the access to opportunity
for self-actualization, effective leadership and positive democratic
attainment.
Tribune
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