OSUN STATE

Build Working Peoples Party To Defeat Anti-Poor Government

By Fredo

After 4 years of misery, penury, massive unemployment and dilapidated infrastructures like education, housing, roads, etc, Osun State people saw 2007 general election as an opportunity to kick out Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, PDP led government and its vicious attacks on them and be replaced with a government that will make life a better place for them.

But just like it did virtually in other states, the PDP machinery unleashed violent attacks on the people and opposition parties to keep Oyinlola in power at all cost. The PDP thugs and security operative freely snatched and stuffed ballot boxes with ballot papers, damaged properties, committed rapes and murder, etc.

The AC candidate, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, whom the masses believed to have won the 2007 governorship election in the state but was robbed by the PDP gangsters, contested Oyinlola’s “victory” at the Election Tribunal. Right from the commencement of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal, hostility and bias against the petitioner, Aregbesola, by the Tribunal had never been in doubt. For instance, the forensic expert evidence of Adrian Forty exhibiting that the 2007 governorship election in the state was a farce was rejected.

Again, before the Tribunal pronounced its verdict dismissing Aregbesola’s petition, the News Magazine had published an alleged existing relationship/rapport between the chairman of the State Tribunal and the Respondent’s lawyer, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN). If this were to be true, the Tribunal verdict against Aregbesola is fraudulent as its integrity is at stake. Interestingly however, up till the time of writing, neither the Tribunal nor the Respondent’s lawyer has contested this allegation.

The peaceful protest organised to condemn the corrupt practices of the members of the Tribunal was crushed with police might at the instance of the state government. In the process, Comrade Waheed Lawal, Chairman, Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), Osun State, Debo Adeniran, Coordinator, CACOL and 22 activists were arrested and detained for 14 days in police cells and Ilesha Prison.

All this and others which have not been mentioned are clear indications to the masses the need for them to fight to defend their rights. Neither INEC nor court can fight on their behalf or be their last hope. In the final analysis, the ruling class will ride the law with all its military and police support to oppress the masses and cling to power indefinitely.

To kick out from power elements like Oyinlola, the poor masses need a viable and veritable political platform of their own with clear ideological and political working class orientation that will fight with them in and out of office. This party will strive to implement poor masses programmes and policies like free and quality education, healthcare, good roads, affordable housing and employment to the people. In bringing about this, workers, youth and change-seeking elements in Osun State should join Osun State Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) that has been working towards building fighting working peoples’ party, provision of basic needs and infrastructure and socialist reconstruction of the society.