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.
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