Hope Democratic Party is unique —Adedoyin

Oluwole Joshua Adedoyin, a writer and journalist is the current National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and National President of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW). The governorship candidate on the platform of Hope Democratic Party in Osun State speaks to YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE on his political ambition, his party and sundry issues.

How did you become a politician?

I was the National Coordinator of the Conference of Young Nigerian Democrats and the National Secretary of Good Governance and Transparency Club.  The Conference of Young Nigerian Democrats was affiliated with the Global Youth Service Day of America. The aim of the club was to create a forum where youth and interested participant can share, brainstorm and ruminates about problems facing youths in their communities and professions. We later diverted our interest into politics and we compelled all members to join any political parties of their choice. That was around 2004. I was then championing youth participation in politics and encouraging youth to show interest in politics. Before my foray into politics, I was into activism under Comrade Laoye Sanda. I was into full activism for three solid years before joining the Progressive Action Congress (PAC) a registered political party then under the National leadership of Chief Nwodo. I was then made the Ibadan North local government chairman of the party. I served the party for six months before joining the major opposition party in the state then, the Action Congress (AC) as ward secretary. When my ward chairman then was impeached for no reason, I resigned my membership of the party and went back to the Progressive Action Congress but not as Ibadan North Local Government chairman of the party again but as state P.R.O. After leaving PAC, I joined African Renaissance Party (ARP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), I became the State Secretary of a coalition, called Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN). After the Coalition, I was made the state Secretary of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP).  I started playing professional party politics at the Peoples Mandate Party (PMP). After PMP was deregistered, I was appointed the foundation acting secretary of the United Progressive Party after which I was appointed the African Peoples Alliance (APA) party’s Chairman. I made up my mind to continue my political activism in my state of origin; Osun State on the platform of Hope Democratic Party.

What differentiates Hope Democratic Party and what plans do you have for Nigerians?

We are quite different and unique from all other political parties. Our manifesto speaks volume. Our party has people-oriented ideology. We already have our own blueprints on how to govern the country should be in case we win the presidency anytime in the future. Currently, we have designed our 5 Plan Revolution Blueprint for a new Nigeria which is also applicable to state too. The execution of this well-articulated welfarist programme is expected to reverse in positive light the current or prevalent overtly negatively adopted capitalist tendencies that has over time bred corruption in Nigeria and Osun State and which also has over time grown into a cankerworm permeating all spheres of the life of our people in the state thereby stalling any sustainable developmental projects such as funds for world class infrastructural development, good roads, steady jobs and general well fair of the Nigeria and Osun State citizenry are channeled to private accounts breeding social injustice in the land, mass poverty and disparities between the poor and the rich and which in turn breeds social misfit and ready hands for crime, terrorist, recruitment leading to insecurity in the land. All these happened during the reigns of PDP in the country and Osun State.

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What is the preparedness of the party ahead of 2018 governorship election and the 2019 general elections?

We are already set. We have done our governorship primary where I emerged as the flag bearer of the party. This took place on the 18th of July, 2018. We have submitted our CF001 form and other related documents. We are currently waiting for INEC to publish participating candidates’  names and parties for the election. We are currently holding meetings with our members across the state. And we are going to constitute our campaign committee soon. Our party is following the timetable of INEC for our political activities.

How do you hope to wrestle power from APC?

Well, this depends on the voters. If they want us, they vote us in and if they don’t, then they vote for others. We have put some machineries in place that will let the Osun state citizens know what we have in store for them, what our party stands for, why they need us, what they stand to achieve and our programmes. This is the way we hope to wrestle power from the ruling in the state. It is not that the current party is not doing well, but we believe we can perform better than them through our masses-oriented programmes and manifestoes.

Can you really win Osun State as it is today if election is conducted?

We are hopeful. We have what it takes. We have positioned our party to achieve this feat. It has been long we have been preparing for it. Yes, we can. Judging by our programmes and efforts so far, we are very hopeful.

You already have structures in states?

Yes, our party, Hope Democratic Party, Have structures across the states of the federation. For example, in Southwest, HDP party chairmen in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo do meet to brainstorm, share ideas about ways of moving the party forward in the region and the country as a whole. Hope Democratic Party (HDP) was registered on November 10, 2006, later de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2011, but was later reinstated by a federal high court judgment in 2015. HDP participated in the last 2015 general elections. It was also one of the 14 political parties that fielded presidential candidates in the last presidential election.

In 2015, Hope Democratic Party (HDP) developed five plan revolution blueprints for its envisioned new Nigeria. The 5 plan revolution blueprints are Agricultural and Industrial Revolution, Health and Educational Revolution, Economic and Political Revolution, Infrastructure and Leadership Revolution and Cultural and Security Revolution. We are currently running the party through donations and subscriptions made by our card-carrying members.