MY
ENCOUNTER WITH COMRADE LAOYE SANDA – WOLE ADEDOYIN
Comrade Laoye Sanda transcended being merely a
popular Socialist; he was an exceptional leader and mentor, leaving a profound
impact on numerous individuals. His resounding voice resonated with the
struggles of the oppressed, illuminating their path with hope. Throughout his
life, he actively engaged in various protests and campaigns, all dedicated to
improving the lives of the masses. Reflecting upon Nigeria's Democracy Day, it
would be inadequate not to acknowledge the significant contributions made by Comrade
Laoye Sanda. Personally, I take great pride in having been taught by such an
influential figure.
My encounter with Comrade Laoye Sanda took place
around 2010 during a workshop organized by the Oyo State branch of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Representing the now-defunct
African Renaissance Party (ARP), I attended the workshop while Comrade Laoye
Sanda represented the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) as its Southwest Chairman.
Following the workshop, Comrade Laoye Sanda extended an invitation to all the
participating political parties, which occurred during the political
administration of the Late Otunba Alao Akala, then known as the OYATO Governor.
Otunba Akala's tenure was marred by extravagant spending and thuggery.
During the meeting, a new movement was
established, named the Coalition for A New Nigeria (CNN). I later discovered
that the late Balarabe Musa, one of the founders of the Peoples Redemption
Party (PRP) and former Governor of the Old Kaduna State, had founded the Coalition
for A New Nigeria (CNN). Alh. Balarabe Musa, who served as the National
Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party and the Conference of Nigeria
Political Parties (CNPP), was a major voice against the political
administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed by President
Goodluck Jonthan then. The Coalition for A New Nigeria emerged as one of the
movements he believed could seize power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
at the federal level.
During the meeting, Comrade Laoye Sanda sought
someone to take on the task of writing the meeting minutes. However, no one
expressed interest except for my boss, Dr. Smart Awopegba, who was then serving
as the Chairman of the now defunct Progressive Action Congress (PAC). Having
read many of my write-ups, Dr. Awopegba recommended me to Comrade Laoye Sanda,
and I was entrusted with the responsibility of writing the minutes. As a
result, I eventually assumed the role of Oyo State Secretary for the Coalition
for A New Nigeria (CNN), while Comrade Laoye Sanda remained the Chairman of the
Coalition.
Following the meeting, Comrade Laoye Sanda kindly
offered to drive me to my father's office in Mokola. During our conversation
there, he realized that I too was a committed comrade. Prior to joining the
African Renaissance Party (ARP), I had served as the Nigerian Director of the
Good Governance Club and had been the former President of the Conference of
Young Nigerian Democrats. The Good Governance Club maintained affiliations with
the United Nations and other international organizations, and I represented
them in Nigeria. The club had issued a directive from its headquarters, urging
all country representatives to engage in politics, which prompted me and other
members to join various political parties at the time. The Good Governance Club
operated on socialist principles, and it was within this club that I organized
my first protest and political rally.
Comrade Laoye Sanda and I jointly led the
Coalition for A New Nigeria for a year, with fifteen registered political
parties as members. During this period, we issued numerous press releases
criticizing the government of Otunba Alao Akala, participated in various
protests and political rallies (I still possess some of the minutes, releases,
and posters from that struggle).
Our primary target audience was the voters, and
we endeavored to raise awareness among them about the detrimental consequences
of Otunba Alao Akala's reelection bid. However, within the CNN, the number of
politicians outweighed that of the activists, resulting in their dominance in
most of our meetings. Nonetheless, Comrade Laoye Sanda effectively employed his
activist experience to make a significant impact.
It was Comrade Laoye Sanda who provided the
financial support for the struggle. I recall him giving me money for tasks such
as photocopying and typing the minutes. During my time at CNN, I encountered
Comrade Lamidi Apapa, who is currently the Acting National Chairman of the
Labour Party. At that time, he served as the Vice Chairman of the Movement and
the Oyo State Chairman of the Labour Party. Comrade Lamidi Apapa played a
significant role in contributing both financially and in other forms to the
movement's success. Our meetings took place in various political party offices
and at the residence of Comrade Ola Oni in Bodija. It was at CNN where I also
met other young comrades like Wale Aluta, a former UI SUG President, Comrade
Lawal Kehinde, and Wale Oni, one of the sons of the late Comrade Ola Oni. Under
the guidance of Comrade Laoye Sanda, we were all taught the fundamentals of
Socialist Democracy. We were his protégés, serving and learning the essentials
of political struggles, protests, rallies, and what it truly meant to be a
comrade.
During my time at CNN, Comrade Loye Sanda offered
me the position of State Secretary/Publicity Secretary of the Peoples
Redemption Party (PRP) in Oyo State. Consequently, I switched from the African
Renaissance Party (ARP) to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) under the
Southwest regional leadership of Comrade Laoye Sanda. It was during my tenure
with PRP that I began engaging in professional activism. I attended socialist
lectures at his residence on Old Ife Road, and it was during this period that
he appointed me as the President of the Yoruba Progressive Youth Movement, a
radical youth movement founded by him. He also provided me with socialist
literature to read.
Attending meetings during that time was not easy.
Regardless of whether I had money or not, I had to find a way to make it to the
meetings. Sometimes, when I lacked funds, I would walk from my father's office
in Mokola to Labiran at Beere, which served as our meeting point. Other times,
I walked from Mokola to Idi Ape, where the former Secretariat of the Labour
Party was located. Eventually, the meetings moved to Sango, opposite Sango
Cemetery. There were occasions when I attended without having anything to eat.
There was even a time when I trekked from Mokola to Comrade Laoye's house on
Old Ife Road. However, upon arrival at the meeting, he would provide us with
transportation fare and food. Comrade Laoye trained us to face challenges
head-on, and we grew accustomed to them. The lessons we learned from him during
this training proved valuable in my later life.
Comrade Laoye Sanda, a humble man, holds a
special place in my memories. After concluding a state meeting of the Peoples
Redemption Party (PRP) at our Labiran Secretariat one day, we needed to discuss
pressing matters with the National Chairman of the Party, Alh. Balarabe Musa.
Typically, my Chairman would summon me to meet him at the residence of Comrade
Laoye Sanda, where we could present our requests while he dialed Alh. Balarabe
Musa's number in our presence. However, there was an occasion when our state
meeting ended at our Labiran office and we sought to converse with Alh.
Balarabe Musa. As usual, we visited Comrade Laoye Sanda's house and explained
the purpose of our visit. In response, he promptly picked up his phone and
contacted Alh. Balarabe Musa, discussing our concerns with him. As we departed,
Comrade Laoye Sanda pulled me aside and entrusted me with Alh. Balarabe Musa's
contact number, urging me to directly engage with him whenever there were party
matters to discuss. He expressed his confidence in me to my Chairman, Alh.
Ibrahim Gazali.
On the eve of the 2011 Governorship election in
Oyo State, Comrade Laoye Sanda and I found ourselves in the sitting room of the
late governor, presenting him with the report on our movement (CNN) and
providing updates on various developments. He graciously attended to us, and we
briefed him accordingly.
Our struggles during 2010/2011 eventually bore
fruit when the incumbent, Otunba Alao Akala, lost the 2011 Governorship
Election to the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator
Abiola Ajimobi. Recognizing Comrade Laoye Sanda's contributions, he was
appointed as a member of the Governing Board of the Polytechnic, Ibadan. Upon
learning of his appointment, I confidently affirmed to a friend that he
deserved it. In fact, Comrade Sanda had been the primary writer of the slogans
and messages displayed on the placards during Senator Abiola Ajimobi's rallies
and campaigns in 2011. When Comrade Laoye Sanda received his first salary, he
selflessly shared it among all of us.
There is much more to share about my experiences
with Comrade Laoye Sanda, but I will save it for the second part of this
article.
Wole
Adedoyin holds the position of National Coordinator in both the Writers for
Democratic Change (WDC) and the Democratic Writers Association of Nigeria
(DWAN). Additionally, he is recognized as the inaugural Secretary of the
Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Oyo State and has previously served as
the Secretary of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Oyo
State.
