(Exclusive Interview): The Voters Were The Heroes of O TO GE- Oloriewe Raheem Adedoyin
Oloriewe Raheem Adedoyin is a world class journalist, Public Relations Expert and Political Strategist of repute. Raheem Adedoyin is a former Commissioner of Information and Strategy in Kwara State, a member ( and Nigerian Secretary) of the international press institute – the global network of Editors, media executives and communication experts- and State Coordinator of National Committee on Buhari Support Groups (NCBSG) during and beyond the 2019 general elections.
The Oloriewe of Oroland reflects on O TO GE Revolution, performance of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Kwara APC in-fighting and other issues in an exclusive interview with FactualTimes crew: OYEWALE OYELOLA and PELUMI BAMGBOYE for our Special Series- #OTOGEaYearAfter. Enjoy the excerpts:
The Kwara APC Parallel Congress which you played active role in marks the turning point in the state political space after paving way for OTOGE revolution. This new administration is celebrating one year, what comes to your mind a year after OTOGE revolution?
I think it is a two-way thing. On the political side, kwara APC is having a terrible crack, a sort of fracticidal war at the leadership level. That is disquieting . At Government level, I think the governor is doing well, he should soon be on autopilot if the distraction caused by the party leadership crisis is quickly resolved. One year of his (Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq) administration, what you should ask yourself is what has this man done for me or impacted in the lives of my people, my community? Where I come from, Irepodun local government, also the local government of the Honorable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhajis Lai Mohammed, we speak well of the governor for his infrastructural projects in our place. We applaud him for outstanding appointment of our daughters and sons into his government- at least in the last count this includes the deputy chief of staff, a commissioner, a world-reknowned medical genius as special adviser on health and so on.
So, for me and the people from my constituency, the Governor has done pretty well.
Looking at the Otoge struggle what do you think that necessitated the struggle?
Otoge is multi-dimensional. It had many variants. Some participated through well- choreographed radio programmes and public enlightenment activities; we have some like me who participated through internal political activitism. But I’m no revolutionary o. In a way, I would say, we actually started OTOGE in a very profound and effective way. The parallel congress that we organised was a watershed in the history of the struggle. Of course, there were people who later came from PDP in droves to join us , to give vitality, prominence and muscle to the struggle. So, several forces coalesced to make OtoGe happen. And of course, the people of kwara themselves sealed OtoGe.
From my vantage position, I really give credit to the original APC stakeholders who actually dared the leadership internally. Organising that epochal parallel state congress was a defining moment I can never forget in my life. People risked their lives, risked their investments and risked their means of livelihood to confront the leadership at that time. Seriously speaking, it wasn’t easy holding the parallel Congress. I was involved, not only in the conceptualization but also in the execution. It was tough. But as I said earlier, OTOGE was more or less cemented and expanded when the PDP elements came in as soon as the then Governor , Maigida and former Senate President Bukola Saraki exited the APC. They came with a lot of muscle. But Otoge became properly framed when AbulRahman AbdulRazaq became a candidate. It was then that people saw OTOGE billboards, those billboards were something else. What we were doing had no name, no label nobody called it Otoge, not even on radio until AA as APC candidate came out with the award- winning catchphrase. You see, they underrate this man a lot. OtoGe was probably not his coinage but he brought it out and popularised it. Honestly, the man is a man of great ideas. He is an introvert, he doesn’t talk too much the way people like me talk. Nobody is giving him credit for OTOGE but it was through him that Otoge became a phrase and a revolutionary song for everyone in kwara.
Some people have been ascribing themselves as the heroes of Otoge movement; do you think any individual can claim the glory of the movement?
No group can claim the glory of OTOGE, the glory belongs to the people. But many individuals and groups played some significant roles. It can’t be ascribed to a particular group. When you claim Otoge for the people who came in from PDP, what about people who were in APC before them who dared the leadership within? The fact remains that they came in and they boosted the plans that were already on the ground. You can’t win an election without building a coalition, so a coalition brought about the success of the struggle.
The GRS Team was also part of the coalition. They are heroes! But ultimately, the people, the voters were the heroes of OtoGe. The parallel parallel exco members were brutally assaulted. Everyone has forgotten about them. I hosted them last week and was moved to tears by their woes of neglect.
You served as Director General for your long time friend, Mashood Mustapha (MM) ahead of the APC governorship primary, and later, without a genuine reason, we heard that he was disqualified. What can you say about MM and Saliu Mustapha stance after what was termed an illegal disqualification?
I served as DG of MM campaign and was brutally treated by the leadership. They even went as far as removing my name from the Kwara list for chairmanship of Federal board at the point of announcement. But that didn’t bother me but I was more than shaken when our own leaders in the new APC conspired to get MM out of the way midway into the primaries. They just announced on a popular federal radio in Kwara that MM had been disqualified when he was already doing well, he had won my ward, he was winning clearly in Irepodun, the reports from Oyun, Offa and parts of Central were encouraging. And then, Gbam! Those who did it would need to seek forgiveness from God. It was disgusting, it was evil. If u are looking for heroes of APC in Kwara, MM and SM were.
How Hon. Mashood Mustapha’s (MM)Acceptance of Abdulrasaq Candidature is Changing the Narrative
What the nameless characters did against the duo was reckless. The initial reaction was for MM to take it up legally and he actually planned doing that, but then he considered the implication: the APC primaries results would be annulled, it was too late to order a repeat primaries, so APC would not field a governorship candidate. And for someone already unfairly suspected as a mole in APC, getting APC out of the election would have been disastrous. Being governor was secondary to MM, ensuring a change in Kwara for the better was more paramount to him. I think the national Headquarters later sent an apology letter to both MM and SM to say you did no wrong, we are sorry.
How will you rate the performance of Governor AbdulRasaq and other elected representatives, especially at the state level?
You see, I don’t like going into the business of rating people whose work no one can see. But I can see this governor’s work, so I can rate him. He has done a fantastic road project in Omu-aran, a beautiful road with street light on Esie museum and he is rehabilitating our educational heritage in Oroland, Oro Grammar School. So I rate him high for what I see him doing for our people. And of course, I read in his first one year in office anniversary publications about his achievements. I was myself surprised about the projects so far executed by the governor. Kwara North is seriously enjoying his administration with a lot of infrastructural development.
After he (Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq) emerged as the governorship candidate of APC in 2018, he promised to run an all inclusive government. Do you think the Governor has fulfilled his promise in this regard?
Ask the Governor!(laughs). Please, lets get this straight; the Governor could and, in my opinion, should consult when making critical decisions. But it is his call, he takes responsibility for his actions. I am a stakeholder in Irepodun and also in Kwara South, I get consulted. That may be because, I give him honest and frank advice and I show him respect.
You worked actively as State Coordinator of NCBSG to ensure reelection of President Buhari doing 2019 elections. Are you satisfied with his performance in the last one year?
If am like those people saying they worked for AA and have not benefited from AA, I will say Bihari administration is a failure. But that will be wrong. I worked so tirelessly for Buhari’s election in 2015 and even harder for his reelection in 2019. I am still the State Coordinator of National Committee for Buhari Support Groups (NCBSG). My group didn’t receive any campaign materials, no fund from anybody. The vehicles, the motorcycles and the money they received and purportedly distributed for campaign did not get to us. You know the media war we, NCBSG, fought for Buhari in Kwara, you were involved. But despite all the sacrifices, no one has remembered us. That’s the way of politics especially if you can’t do bootlicking. But that wouldn’t stop me from saying Buhari has done a great job in Kwara; the Jebba – Mokwa road is excellent, the road from Omu-aran to Eruku to Kabba is still ongoing. Those things we campaigned on for his reelection, the President is still delivering as far as am concerned. The man has given us two ministers with powerful portfolios and recently he appointed a Kwaran, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as his new Chief of Staff and another Kwaran, Hajia Farida Dankaka as Chairman of the Federal Character Commission. Mr President has done pretty well for us. But we want more from him.