One of the important reasons I decided to return to the classroom and pursue further studies in my 40s is my passion for the fight against injustice.
It was Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who, to some extent, โsoldโ Tinubu to many of us. He used to describe him with many names and attributes that influenced our perception of him and made us believe that he was a genuine democrat.
Today, however, I have come to question that perception.
Politics is secondary to me. I have many other addresses and interests. I am involved in politics for reasons best known to me and to some people very close to me.
I remember vividly the controversy surrounding the removal of fuel subsidy by President Goodluck Jonathan, which was eventually reversed following massive protests across the country. I personally heard some of Tinubuโs comments at the time criticising the subsidy removal.
I was there live on one occasion when Tinubu said: โแบธ jแบนฬ kรก lรจ Jonathan lแป; รจtรฒ รฌjแปba sรญแนฃe kรฒ yแบน, kรฒ mแปฬ nฬpa rแบนฬ.โ
The clear message, as I understood it, was that Jonathan should be removed from Aso Rock because he lacked the competence to govern.
Yet, subsidy removal was one of the major decisions taken by Tinubu immediately upon assuming office.
Beyond the issue of subsidy, what is happening in Osun State today is deeply disturbing. Killing, maiming, shooting, jungle justice, harassment and unlawful activities, particularly where there are concerns about the support or involvement of federal authorities, are completely unacceptable.
This is particularly troubling under the watch of a man who, in the past, raised his voice against oppression and injustice. One is therefore compelled to ask whether some of those past positions were genuinely rooted in principle or were merely driven by political calculations.
You are now turning the Osun election into something resembling a military coup, and that is alien to democracy.
The lives of our people are extremely important to us. We value them, and we will never close our eyes and continue watching these abnormalities as though they are normal.
We are pro-people. We live for the people, we stand with the people, and we will never abandon them.
I have read extensively about the Rwandan crisis. What began as tensions and divisions between communities eventually escalated into a devastating conflict that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, including the country’s president.
History teaches us a painful lesson: when injustice, political repression, violence and impunity are allowed to grow unchecked, they can eventually produce consequences that nobody can control
We must therefore be careful. Osun belongs to all of us. Nigeria belongs to all of us. Democracy belongs to all of us.
We must not allow political ambition to destroy the peace, security, and unity of our people.
Khalid Balogun, ESQ
From Ikirun Agunbe Onile Obi
