Former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has made an urgent plea to members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over the need to save Nigeria from poverty, hunger and poor governance.
Speaking during a ceremony in Lagos on Saturday, Aregbesola, who is the Interim National Secretary of the ADC, welcomed stakeholders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party and other groups to the coalition.
The former Minister of Inter made reference to a statement credited to Obafemi Awolowo, saying Nigeria’s current political order has failed the people and must give way to a new system that prioritises their welfare.
“Embedded in this profound statement, and drawing from the Hegelian notion of dialectics, is the unavoidable truth that the existing political order, which is the thesis, will be confronted by its antithesis, bringing it to an end. A new order will therefore emerge as the synthesis,” Aregbesola said.
“The cost of living is so high that starvation is literally stalking the land. Any government that does not make the wellbeing of its people the basis of governance will soon lose relevance and collapse.”
The former governor added that insecurity across the country, the high cost of drugs, and increasing hardship show why a new political force is necessary.
“There is a limit to how much the people can be squeezed and pushed before something eventually gives,” he said
“This is why our mission is urgent and our intervention has become absolutely necessary. We must act now to save the nation.”
Aregbesola further said “what we did in Lagos is still unbeatable. We defeated a candidate there against all odds”, referencing the defeat of President Bola Tinubu, his former ally, in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election.
