Comrade Michael Olasoji, was the former chairman, African Action Congress (AAC) and now the Lagos State Organising Secretary of the opposition party led by the political/human rights activist and a former presidential candidate, Comrade Omoyele Sowore.
In this interview with Kunle Adelabu, Publisher/Reporter -in -Chief, THE IMPACT newspaper, he maintains that AAC remains active as an opposition party, scoring the ruling APC and his elected officers very low in terms of performances. The State AAC Organising Secretary also affirmed that his party will field candidates for all elective positions in the state and across the council areas for the forthcoming General Elections. He offers his party as an alternative to Lagosians to vote for. Excerpts:
THE IMPACT: It has been lull in activities of the AAC as a party in Ikorodu Division since the last General Elections, is AAC still operating as a political party in Ikorodu?
AAC State Organising Secretary: AAC Ikorodu still remains active. We continue to engage in different political activities, such as sensitisation of citizens on voter registration, one on one engagement with Ikorodu residents to join our great party, embarking on political education and our general monthly meetings continue to hold.
THE IMPACT: While the revolutionary activities of the national leader/former presidential candidate of the AAC, Comrade Omoyele Sowore, has been sustained at the national level, the same thing cannot be said of the party at the state and local council levels, will it be correct to say that the party is only existing at the national level?
AAC State Organising Secretary: The party remains vibrant at the national level, state level and local government levels. We have been participating in all political activities, especially elections. AAC participated in the last Local government election. We performed excellently against the ruling party; we campaigned round all the local government areas, and we fielded candidates.
AAC presence is in all 20 Local government areas in Lagos State. AAC has executives both at state level and in all the 20 local governments in Lagos. AAC being a revolutionary party continuously welcomes massive inflow of new members in Lagos State, because of our interventions fighting for the rights of citizens, especially when being oppressed by the police and government agencies. As a party, we have been speaking against anti -people activities by the APC administration. AAC spoke against the illegal demolition of houses and displacement of Lagosians in their community and residents in Oworonsoki, Makoko,Owode etc. AAC in Lagos continues to fight against the poor drainage system in Lagos. We spoke against different anti -people policies which affect the social welfare of Lagosians. We have been active in speaking about the poor education system in Lagos State also.
AAC exists in the 20 local governments that are constitutionally recognised, and we have active members. AAC as a revolutionary party remains the only major opposition political party in Lagos as at today and Nigeria as a whole.
THE IMPACT: As the former chairman of the AAC in Ikorodu Local Government and now the State Organising Secretary, what is your assessment of the APC government’s performance at the state and council level, also at senatorial, house of reps and assembly levels as related to Ikorodu. I mean performance of the Governor, Sanwo – Olu; Sen. Tokunbo Abiru, Rep. Babajimi Benson, Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye, Hon AMA and the 6 council chairmen as related to Ikorodu?
AAC State Organising Secretary: As the former chairman of AAC Ikorodu, and currently the Organising Secretary at the State level, I would say APC government’s performance at state and council level is extremely poor. Starting from education, we don’t have quality education in our public schools. We can’t say that the APC administration is fulfilling their promises to give free education from primary level to secondary level. Every child that wants to get enrolled passes through a lot of stringent process, which many poor parents cannot afford to pay for, and this increases the number of out -of -school children in Lagos State.
Poor parents that cannot afford a meal and that don’t have a job, are told to pay certain fees, to present evidence or receipt of tax payment and other documents. This is unfair, and affects a lot of poor people. This is not the standard or free education one of our past leaders and great socialist, Awolowo gave to the Western Region. Many poor people cannot even send their children to higher institutions in Lagos because it is too expensive, they cannot afford it. Education in Lagos State is now for those that can afford it.
The APC government in Lagos failed to provide social amenities, like pure drinking water, good roads, standard and affordable health services, infrastructure, youth empowerment, living wage for workers, good transportation system etc. The governor, Sanwo-Olu is confused and tired. He has indirectly and technically handed over his office to his deputy while his tenure is not over.
The APC local government chairmen are excellently delivering bad governance in their various councils. You can hardly find or see any developmental activities and programmes going on. The schools in their care are very poor; primary health care centres are struggling to survive, and roads, and drainages are abandoned. Even with the increased allocation to all LGs, nothing is happening. Funds are not used judiciously, and the funds don’t reflect or show any physical progress on ground.
Ikorodu residents are not proud of the performance of Senator Abiru. He has been representing himself and his principals in APC. We are not feeling his impact and presence at all. We can’t speak of a bill he has presented on behalf of his constituents that scales through and affects or impacts the life of his constituents positively. He is part of the rubber stamp senators in the chamber. Lagosians are wise now. Ikorodu residents are wise now, and they would never vote for any failed politicians and party again. That is why attention is shifting to AAC for total revival of our political space.
Rep Babajimi Benson’s performance is restricted to road construction in different local governments, which is part of his constituency projects. We credit him for the good job so far, because every local government and residents are benefiting from those roads he constructed. His job as a law maker is far beyond road construction, or constituency projects, we expect to see presentation of bills and, especially about the demands of Ikorodu residents. He should be seen speaking against and opposing anti people policies in the house, but he has chosen to also be a rubber stamp lawmaker in the chamber. I know that he has tried so far, and he’s tired, it’s time for the AAC candidate to take over in order to give excellent representation to Ikorodu people.
For the two House of Assembly members, they have really disappointed Ikorodu as a whole, there is huge disconnection between them and the people. We can’t remember one bill they sponsor on behalf of Ikorodu and scale it through. The two lawmakers representing Ikorodu in the Lagos State House of Assembly performances are poor, but we are not surprised, because they got to be in power through the powers that be. AAC is coming to correct all these errors.
THE IMPACT: To put the record straight sir, you said that Senator Abiru does not have a single bill to his name but he was the sponsor of many bills including Energy Commission of Nigeria (The Repeal and Re-enactment Bill) 2023; Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Act Amendment Bill 2024, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC Amendment bill 2024; The Nigerian Insurance Reform Bill, 2024( First Reading); Bill seeking to amend the Banks and other Financial Institutions Acts (BOFIA), 2020 among many others between 2023 and now. He has also facilitated many roads, hospitals, sports centres, schools and empower constituents, support farmers across the Lagos East among many others. He has also supported students with scholarships.
In the case of Rep. Babajimi Benson, even though he has facilitated about 100 roads, that is not just what he is known for. It is on record that Benson has also facilitated construction of hospitals, many schools, markets, sport centres, facilitate employment for many constituents, provide grant for students going to the Law School, provide scholarship to students, facilitated many transformers, running food bank for over 10 years and supporting residents with empowerment as well as engaging in human capital development. In terms of Bills, he has sponsored Nigerian Armed Forces Support Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2020; Bill for an Act to provide for the Protection of Persons who Render Reasonable Assistance During Emergency Situations; A Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of Armed Forces Medical College (AFCOM) and for Related Matters (HB.2628), 2025; Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2024 among many others.
For the Assembly members, Hon. Aro Moshood has also facilitated construction of roads, schools, drainage systems, provide financial support to SMEs, facilitated and bought many transformers, support students with scholarship and trainings, empower senior citizens, provide employment to over 100 residents, and regarding bills, he has sponsored and co -sponsored the Electricity Law, Local Government Administration Law, Appropriation Laws, Lateef Jakande Academy Law and Lagos Geographic Information Service Law among others. While Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye on his own has also facilitated some roads, transformers, provide sporting materials to schools and support students with GCE and JAMB forms among others.
Just to set the record straight, sir. You may wish to counter any of these claims sir.
AAC State Organising Secretary: In response to their records as you claimed, if we look at the number of years and tenure they have both spent as lawmakers and we put their achievements into measure, would we say they have really performed? In terms of bills sponsored, how does it affect or meet the needs of their constituents, how many become law? In terms of buying GCE forms, sharing food, buying transformers for citizens, this really shows and tells how the system is failing, because these are not primary constitutional responsibilities of any lawmaker. How much is their constituency allocations, how much are they spending, where is the transparency? Before we can applaud them and say, ahh, we must know what they received. If it is ₦1000 allocation and they judiciously spent all the ₦1000 or ₦700 on their constituents’ projects. Who are the beneficiaries of all these giveaways, are they not 99% of their political party -APC members? We know all this. How many percent of Ikorodu residents are benefiting from all these, talk less of being aware of things like this happening. When the power sector is totally failing under their watch as lawmakers, how many bills have they sponsored regarding it, how many scaled through?
It is not the responsibility of lawmakers or any citizen to be purchasing transformers for communities, it’s the sole responsibility of the distribution power companies, but because the system has failed, those that are supposed to put things in order don’t care, they begin to do someone else’s job and see it as achievements.
If the state government promised free education from primary level to secondary level, why are lawmakers getting themselves involved in buying GCE forms, building schools etc.
We should compare our democracy with those we are emulating, do their lawmakers leave their constitutional primary assignments and start embarking on executive responsibilities? All these happen in Nigeria because our political system has failed, and these are not what we should be celebrating. Where are the roads AMA is doing or did? The only one I see is the road that leads to his house. The second lawmaker in constituency 1, has the most disappointing performance, even the members of his political party are disappointed. Those in his constituency are not feeling his impact.
In summary all they count as achievements are normal things which those not in political office do, NGOs do, individuals do. We need them to engage more in debates, sponsor bills in the house chambers that would improve the welfare of citizens, not the one that makes the citizens poorer, and they would come back home and start sharing foods, SME etc, that very small percentage of the people would benefit and they would count as achievement.
For how long are we going to continue with this style and approach? For how long are we going to subject our citizens to abject poverty and they accept whatever is thrown at them, and those in power feel they are helping them by doing all these?
We in AAC assess governance, and roles of each political office holder as specified constitutionally and how it is done in other countries where democracy is practised and dividends of government are given.
THE IMPACT: While there have been oppositions to some political office holders within the APC, as aspirants have been signifying interests to unseat them, nothing is being heard from the AAC and other opposition parties, are you guys still in opposition and are you fielding candidates for the forthcoming general elections?
AAC State Organising Secretary: AAC in Lagos and Ikorodu will fully participate in the coming 2027 election. We have aspirants at all levels. We have for the governorship, senatorial, Federal House of Representatives, and Lagos House of Assembly positions. AAC has aspirants for Ikorodu for Federal House of Representatives and the two House of Assembly seats.
Our party state primaries will be held on the 23rd of May, 2026, and after the primaries, all candidates will be officially unveiled. Ikorodu residents are looking forward to AAC and we will not disappoint them.
THE IMPACT: Your message to the Ikorodu electorate?
AAC State Organising Secretary: My message to the Ikorodu electorate is to remain vigilant and active. Ikorodu residents would have genuine representatives this time. AAC, your ideological and revolutionary party is here, come out massively to join us in campaign and massively vote for AAC in the coming 2027 general election.
We promise Ikorodu residents we would never let you down, for the first time, we would all experience good governance.
THE IMPACT: Thank you, sir.
