His election as presidential candidate of about the only political party with roots in any sustained struggle for popular democracy may not have hit the headlines across Nigeria only because of the way Nigeria is. Otherwise, the son of the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola emerging as presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party, (PRP) ought to, particularly with his brutal admission that Nigeria is bleeding and he is here to lead the political process of healing it.
His acceptance speech thereto is reproduced below for historical reference
By Latifu Kolawole Abiola
I wish to thank Almighty God, the most merciful and the most compassionate for the gift of life and the ability to go through the Presidential Primary Election of our great Party, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and for emerging winner in the keenly contested election.
Memories of the late Mallam Aminu Kano who came to epitomise the party in the 1st and 2nd Republic
I wish further to appreciate our dedicated Party leadership under the Chairmanship of Mallam Falalu Bello OFR, delegates and my fellow patriotic aspirants namely: Mrs. Patience Ndidi, Col. Gboluga Erosumi Mosugu (Rtd) and Dr. Usman Bugaje, all worthy contestants.
I am proud of the seamless manner in which the PRP conducted the Presidential Primary Elections at the State Headquarters across the nation and the transparency with which the results were collated at the National Secretariat of our Party on Sunday 5th June, 2022.
I hereby ACCEPT MY ELECTION AND MY DECLARATION as the PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE PEOPLES REDEMPTION PARTY (PRP) FOR THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION with great humility and profound gratitude, again to God Almighty. I also want to thank my family (immediate and extended) and my hardworking team for all the support over the decades and in particular during these past few months.
In accepting the nomination, I recommit myself to our Party’s Programmes and Principles which will form the basis for our Policy thrust in governance, and assure the Party and Nigerians at large that I will work tirelessly with one and all, to achieve the laudable principles of the Party, to the benefit of Nigerians, home and abroad.
Set for 2023?
I stand before you today as a Nigerian. I believe in the unity of Nigeria and that we can be stronger together, not because the union is perfect but because together, with a sense of joint-ownership in the Nigeria project, great things are possible in Nigeria. This national commitment must start with the government and our elected officials. That’s why today, I commit to promoting our strengths and working tirelessly to address our challenges.
Travelling the length and breadth of our country, I have heard directly from you on what these issues are, from:
- Insecurity,
- Poverty and high cost of living,
- Youth unemployment,
- Culture of waste of national resources, both human and natural resources, and
- Ecological disasters, to mention but a few.
By the decision of Party delegates to nominate me as Presidential Candidate of the PRP for the 2023 General Election, I believe our nation is now closer to the promise of the Nigeria that our PRP forefathers dreamt of, and which my late father Bashorun MKO Abiola promised during his electioneering campaigns in 1993: that the great people of Nigeria should live in a nation that guarantees:
- Value and Equality of Human Beings,
- Power of the People,
- Genuine Federalism and proper distribution of national wealth, as well as
- Protection of its economic borders.
With this nomination, it is a confirmation that you see me, LATIFU KOLAWOLE ABIOLA of the PEOPLES REDEMPTION PARTY (PRP), as a bridge-builder for our next generation to step into governance and the future of leadership in Nigeria, so that we can jointly produce a country:
- where everyone can achieve his or her aspirations for a dignified life and a good future for children yet unborn, with access to good education, healthcare, electricity and basic social services.
- where our entrepreneurial spirit, God-given talents and natural resources can be translated into rich commerce and industry, so that our nation can build on its vast agricultural potentials while leapfrogging its citizens into the 4th industrial revolution.
- where we rebuild our economic, social and governance infrastructure with value-for-money and the positive impact on the wellbeing of all Nigerians, as guiding principles, and
- where we can all depend on our public services, and security and intelligence establishments to safeguard lives, livelihoods and properties; where our safety is guaranteed whether in our homes, places of worships or as we travel across the country.
This point is of particular importance today given yet another act of mindless barbarism that took place yesterday the 5th of June, this time in Owo, Ondo State where innocent worshippers perished under the guns of cowardly elements. I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and while praying for the souls of the departed, ask that God grants quick recovery to those injured.
In solidarity with Nigerians at large and the great people of Owo Kingdom in Ondo State, I deferred this acceptance speech till now, even though I was declared winner of the Presidential Primary of my great Party, the PRP yesterday. This is indeed a season of mourning and fear in our land, and a sober call to all to avoid getting carried away with mere politics of self-interest. Fellow Nigerians, our dear nation is bleeding and it is time for us to heal it.
I promise to focus on nation-building, creating opportunities for our people to prosper and repositioning the economy of our nation for long term growth, when at the 2023 Presidential Election, God Almighty via the Nigerian electorates, gives me the mandate to serve our nation as elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
We must now move to the next stage of our journey, to achieve the results that we know we are capable of. As a Party, we must secure broad support across our diverse and now divided nation. We must compete and win at the State and Federal levels. We will do this because our secret weapon as PRP is our people and their commitment to our great Party and its ethical foundation. I promise to campaign with every PRP candidate across the nation, to achieve our collective goals.
I take this opportunity to ask Nigerians to join us. Register to vote and join us on this journey to “Reclaim Nigeria for Nigerians”. Again, I say, we will do this, together as one.
God bless you all, God bless the Peoples Redemption Party, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
