AGT: POLITICAL EVANGELISM AGAINST VOTER APARTHY BEYOND RHETORIC OF POLITICS

THE MEETING POINT OF JOFIEC AND AGT IN 'PROJECT RIYE' PART 1

By Raising Adedeji Jimoh

At the turn of every election in Nigeria, several innovations will begin to evolve for electioneering process in several and distinct or similar roles. The different groups of people will be seeking to get involved for desirable influence to impact the eventual outcome of the results. One of such groups that emerged in this past 2023 general elections ‘is’ the Asiwaju Grassroots Talk (AGT) which pitched its tent with the Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC). It may need clarification that the reference to AGT in present term here is to emphasise its proposed continuum with existential value as a cooperative society for the general voters mobilised for the elections.

This, according to its philosophy, is to firstly, make a difference from the past history of use-and-dump syndrome as a way of the politicians and as common to their collaborative campaign support groups. Secondly, to make it its own Unique Selling Point (USP) among such support groups that emerged for this year 2023 General Elections.

From its inaugural theme entitled Political Evangelism: Raising Active Voters above 50%, it should be clear to all discernible mind that the general aim of AGT was to fight voter apathy while the direct goal was to make Lagos progressives the direct beneficiary of its mobilisation efforts. Thus accordingly, AGT had deliberately defined its roles for a service value for both national interest and partisan interest in the just concluded elections.

For the national interest, it came to fight voter apathy through a mission to “raise active voters by 50%” above the current data status Lagos might have from the last general elections. This can surely happen only by endevours of voters’ enlightenment campaign, which is one of the primary duty of the country’s electoral umpire – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Of course, there is ample empirical basis to show that AGT played its part to achieve the improved voter participations within the sphere of its operational niche across the 57 local governments and local council development areas of Lagos State this time. The expended resources on this could not have come from the INEC because of the group’s partisan declaration.

However, in defence of its partisan interest, the group believed that it would be meaningless if the ultimate beneficiary of its mobilisation efforts would be for experimental governance on the long run. Hence its declarative intention to expend its resources for a purposeful cause that would offer the electorates a service value of experienced and meaningful governance from competent and tested hands in a stable political party that has survived the test of time in about 24years of this Fourth Republic. APC is obviously the party that owns this attribute.

At the AGT inauguration event held at Ten-Degree Event Centre at Oregun, Ikeja, on January 25, 2023, it was clear that the campaign group had come prepared for its role with a successful mobilisation of over 5000 credible and genuine voters from across the spread of Lagos State for what it termed “A Seminar on Lagos Historical National Voting Fortune in 57 LGA/LCDAs”. It was also clear that the campaign body was not ready for any self-deceit in a play to the gallery.

This was evident in its strict adherence to individual’s Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) as the primary criterion for admission into the event premises. Enforcement of compliance was such that even as a journalist officially invited to cover the event, only your PVC could admit you if you missed arrival with your crew.

What also revealed the genuineness and credibility of the organisation from the event was the attendance of the State’s Executive Cabinet members, led by the BOS of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Siamese governance partner, Dr Obafemi Hamzat. Of course, they were received by the Chief Host – the Director General and Convener of AGT, Dr AbdullHakeem Adetugbobo.

Giving the purpose of that evangelical seminar, Adetugbobo said the AGT intended to train the gathering participants on how they would go from house to house and street to street to sell the electoral values of the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who had then become the Presidential Candidate of the APC. He tagged it literally as the marketing of “Asiwaju Brand” to the Lagos electorate through his political profile from 1992 as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to date.

He was however quick to add that it should not be misconstrued that the evangelists would be going to work for Asiwaju Tinubu alone. “Their gospel covers the preaching of why Sanwo-Olu must continue his developmental works in Lagos as a second term Governor”, he said.

Explaining how AGT would be a project beyond 2023 General Election as a social and political “advocacy” group to impart the lives of citizenries, particularly the Lagos residents, he said the Mission and Vision were direct and implicit in revealing this.

The Vision Statement reads: To become the most visible, credible and trustworthy social, political advocacy group in Lagos and Nigeria in general

The Mission Statement reads: 1) Ensuring that the dividends of good governance percolate down the socio-economic ladder of the society. 2)Influence good policies by the government for the common good of the people. 3) Taking advantage of every electoral cycle to ensure the best party and best hands are entrusted with the business of government in Lagos State and Nigeria.

Thus the final question to address: Where is the meeting point of JOFIEC -- Joke Orelope for Inspiration to Every Child -- with the AGT missions for an upcoming event tagged 'Project RIYE' -- Reliable Institution of Youth Electorate? The last item of the mission statement speaks to this. That is to be properly situated next time.