Who Leads The Revolution? By Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye

Constitutionally or conventionally,
revolution is incontrovertibly regarded
as the last resort amongst the
instruments of social change. It is a
radical weapon of change being used
by the socialists to dislodge and
dethrone leaders’ perceived to be
oppressive and tyrannical from the
seat of power.
Revolution is an attempt by a large
number of people, to change the
government of a country, especially
by violent action. In the words of
Solomon Akinboye (2013), “Revolution
takes three forms: firstly, protest
and war leading to total paralyses of
virtually all government formations
and institutions; secondly, strive for
power and return to masses and
people oriented system of
government, and thirdly, rebuilding of
the collapsed and warped government
formations and institutions.” Indeed,
revolution has been prescribed as the
most wanted panacea to Nigeria socio-
economic and political quagmire in an
incontestable, irrefutable and
indisputable manner by some political
pundits against the exploitative
dominance of the Nigerian capitalists
and bourgeoisies.
Recently, a renowned and universally
respected Prophet, Temitope
Bartholomew Joshua of the Synagogue
Church of Nations exploded without
any fear of intimidation that
revolution is fast approaching in
Nigeria; but I wish to ask, who leads
the revolution? Who starts the
revolution? Where will the revolution
start?
Can this long awaited revolution start
in mosque or church, when most of the
churches and mosques have formed
unholy coalition with the looters and
maximum rulers (politicians)
sabotaging our resources in the
country? Churches and Mosques have
long-lost their values. In Nigeria,
politicians rig themselves into office
and immediately after the
proclamation of their victory by the
already induced electoral umpires,
they swear with holy bible and Quran
that they will govern without any fear
of favour, but reverse is the case.
Next thing they do is to go into
churches and mosques for jamboree
called thanksgiving.
Religious leaders in Nigerian visit
looters standing trial in the prison
custody to pray for their release
because they need them to boost the
treasury of their congregation.
Pastors now rape and impregnate
church members at will. Alfas now kill
and maim perceived enemies
satanically. Most Church conventions
in Nigeria have been turned to
political campaign grounds. Nigerian
Politicians, out of their looted
largesse, now pay pastors and alfas
for fasting, prayers and fortification.
Hence, it is mere effort in futility to
think that the much awaited revolution
will start from the church or mosque?
As for me, I doubt it, because the
difference between most of the
present religious leaders and political
actors/office holders is simply that
same difference between a goat and
a sheep. No doubt, our spiritual
temples have sacrificed values and
virtues for riches and vices.
Can the Nigerian Activists, Labour
leaders and Civil Societies lead this
revolution? The critical analyses done
below best captured little about the
true idiosyncrasy of Nigerian
Activists.
Sometimes in February 2009, a former
Nigerian Labour Congress leader
(NLC) and the Incumbent Governor of
Edo State, Adams Oshiomole,
according to media reports, expended
about N200million on one man, one
vote rally that was held at Samuel
Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin where he
gathered those he believed are true
democrats at the stadium to chastise
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and the Federal
Government in relation to the poor
conduct of the 2007 general elections
and advocated for the total
overhauling of the Nigerian electoral
system. The rally was attended by the
many bigwigs of his party, the Action
congress of Nigeria (ACN) now All
Progressive Congress (APC).
Also, last year, precisely on the 14th
of July when the Edo governorship
election was in progress, Adams
Oshiomole angrily lampooned the INEC
Chairman, Professor Atahiru Jega
because of the late arrival of election
materials. Oshiomole christened Jega
an embarrassment to Nigeria. He was
thereafter his vituperation, declared
the winner of the election. However,
according to reports from citizen
reporters, the April 2013 Chairmanship
and Councillorship elections in Edo
were the worst since the advent of
democratic rule in Nigeria. All the
tenets and the essential ingredients
that characterize a democratic state
were allegedly jettisoned for rigging,
ballot box stuffing, multiple voting,
killing and a never-seen-before
intimidation of opposition leaders;
what a contradiction?
The present opposition parties in
Nigeria are the most hypocritical in
the world. Their products are better
looters than the products of the lack
of creativity, ingenuity, and non-
efficient ruling PDP. Nigerian
opposition preaches value and virtue
but practice vices. A.C.N (now APC)
told President Goodluck Jonathan to
fire his Senior Special Assistant on
Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, for
allegedly defrauding the good people
of Benue State to the tune of
N600million via an abandoned road
contract, but defended the continue
staying in office of the Speaker of
the Lagos State House of Assembly,
Adeyemi Ikuforiji. What an irony?
Pathetically, some of the activists
that Nigerians are expecting to lead
revolution for them petitioned and
dragged some former South Western
PDP Governors to court for awarding
a kilometer of road for N67million,
but are currently defending A.C.N
Governors for awarding a kilometer of
road for N1billion.
The Activists and Governors that
chastised INEC and FG for not giving
Nigerians credible election in 2007 and
2011 till date have not uttered a word
against the charade called local
government elections conducted by
the opposition parties in Lagos, Ogun
and Edo state from 2011 to present.
Also, I make bold to emphasize here
that the Nigerian prominent self-
acclaimed human right activists and
pro-democracy crusaders are mere
bourgeoisies and clandestine politicians
masquerading themselves as friends
of the commoners. They kick only when
their interests are being trampled
upon, but go on criminal silence in the
faces of oppression and injustice once
their interests are protected. Former
House of representatives member, and
Executive Director of anti-corruption
network, Dino Melaye, vowed to stage
protest against the suspended
chairman of the House of
Representatives Committee on
Education, Farouk Lawan and Oil
magnate, Femi Odetola for bribery
and mismanagement of Premium Motor
Spirit (PMS) subsidy fund, but never
did till date as he could not
apparently go against the interest of
his former colleague, Lawan.
In similar vein, Critical voice of a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)
were always heard in the media during
the governorship reigns of Adeniyi
Adebayo, Ayodele Fayose and Olusegun
Oni in Ekiti state but the legal
luminary has not uttered a word
against the incumbent administration
of Dr. Kayode Fayemi despite
conspicuous irregularities.
Nigerian labour leaders will never be
forgotten and forgiven by poor
Nigerians over the manner which they
backed-off from the demonstration
that had trailed the removal of fuel
subsidy by the federal government in
January 2012. Nigerian labour leaders
disappointed Nigerians when they were
needed most. Please what should we
name a labour leader with a monthly
pay of N48, 000 but have two of his
children at a time in Covenant
University, Ota, Ogun State, paying
close to N2million per session? What
do we say about the 76 years old
Founder of the Oodua People’s
Congress (OPC), comrade Frederick
Fasheun that has turned him to the
body guard of the recently discharged
and acquitted former Chief Security
of Officer to the late Nigerian
tyrant, Sanni Abacha, Major al
Mustapha? Does my own leader in the
Committee for the Defense of Human
Rights (CDHR), Senator Babafemi
Ojudu, still has moral/locus standing
to address the grassroots people
having voted against their interest via
the local government autonomy not to
talk of leading revolution?
Is it the leader of the opposition
party who owns about 40% of the
entire resources of his state of origin
that will revolt for Nigerians? It has
also been rumoured by the National
Association of Nigerian Students
(NANS) that the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) do use
their incessant industrial actions to
negotiate for appointment and
promotion from federal government.
Recently, the leaders of the Nigerian
Union of Local Government Employee
(NULGE) made known of their
intention to embark on a three days
warning strike over the rejection of
local government autonomy but backed
out in a dramatic and suspicious
manner. Let me conclude this chapter
by affirming without being immodest
that Nigerian Activists and Human
Rights Crusaders are nothing but
human rice and beans crusaders. They
kick against when money has
exchanged not hands, and shout in
support when the former has
happened. Nigerian Activists are the
hypocrites’ number one in the world!
What about the youths? To affirm
that most Nigerian Youths have lost
their values and character is an
understatement. Most Nigerian Youths
have lost the whips and caprices of
their integrity thereby making it
impossible for anything good to
emanate from their stable. The few
God fearing Nigerian youths have
been over-powered by the satanic-
minded and vices-shucked ones.
Nigerian youths, after being oiled by
looters; stuff, steals and hijack ballot
boxes for those looting their future.
The youths act as informants for
oppressors whenever protest or mass-
actions is being planned against them.
Nigerian youth shout for change
before election but vote for the
enemies of change during election
once N1, 000 is enveloped for them
each. More also, the youth-activist
amongst Nigerian youths appears to
be acting the script of some powerful
people. Just like the old activists dines
and wines with those with the insignia
of power with their interests ably
protected, young activists frequently
tours the offices of Nigerian
capitalists/political marauders like
tourist centre, looking for one favour
or the other. Dear compatriots, please
who amongst the current Nigerian
Youth Leaders can revolt for
Nigerians? Who leads the revolution
amongst Nigerian youths for the
survival of Nigeria?
Conclusively, as Nigerians await the
actualization and coming to reality of
the much-needed political and
economic wild-wind called revolution, I
wish to ask again that who leads the
cracker? Who will lead Nigerians to
the promise land the way Nelson
Mandela saved South Africans from
the hegemony of the Aphatied rule?
Who will lead Nigerians to the Cannan
land the way Fidel Castro, Mahatama
Ghandhi and Chama Mao led Cubans,
Indians and Chinese respectively out
of oppression, economic and political
boundage and perpetual slavery? Who
will be the Bishop Desmond Tutu of
South Africa amongst the Nigerian
pastors? The revolution of 1776 and
1789 marks the beginning of the
total-turnaround of America and
France; therefore, I believe that a
new Nigeria is possible with the same
act, however, may I ask, who leads
the revolution?

Adeleye, a Writer, Political Pundit and
Public Affairs Analyst, writes from
Magodo, Lagos, Nigeria!
+23407039168005, Maxwell_adeleye@
yahoo.com