Peter Ajayi: From activism to politics
It is easy to blame Nigerian youths as arm chair critics, theorists, bedroom revolutionaries for not running for elective office in Nigeria. They are often blamed for their seeming lack of political engagement. They are often faulted as consumed by materialism, devoted to spending their time writing criticisms on Facebook and self-involved tweets, and lacking […]
It is easy to blame Nigerian youths as arm chair critics, theorists, bedroom revolutionaries for not running for elective office in Nigeria. They are often blamed for their seeming lack of political engagement. They are often faulted as consumed by materialism, devoted to spending their time writing criticisms on Facebook and self-involved tweets, and lacking intellectual and political curiosity.
Not true. The fault lies with the Nigerian political system and politicians whose behavior has turned off an entire generation. Our elected officials cheer failed policies and programs, stymie economic and social development. They stunt job creation, induce poverty, sponsor corruption, exploit their constituents, and refuse to do their jobs.
They engage in more than hyperbole and hyper-partisanship. They damage the public’s short-term sense of political trust and confidence, and in the long term, they undermine future generations to be a part of. It is this outrage that drives the political entrepreneurship of Peter Omotayo Ajayi, the Executive Director of Salvage for Development Initiative (SDI) to transit as it were, from activism to politics. Peter as he’s fondly call, is running for the chairmanship of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area under the party platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.
But why should anyone run for political office? This is the universal question gets asked often by people. The answer is that there are as many reasons as there are aspirants. Some of the often-cited reasons are change of status quo, money, power, influence, and lack of good aspirants/candidates. There are some aspirants who just love politics, having been perennial observers and now see an opportunity to run. Peter decides to run for public office because local issues have him upset and wants to actualize his vision for Ejigbo LCDA.
Peter has lived his fruitful and adulthood life in Ejigbo, Lagos State. He schooled in Lagos State University (LASU) where he obtained his Bachelor and Master degrees in Journalism.
As a strong advocate for social change, Peter is fully immersed on Human Rights issues. Between 1999 and 2011, he served in different capacities with different organizations: administrative officer/group coordinator/chair, caretaker committee of Amnesty International Nigerian Section, Co-Convener Movement for Genuine Democracy in Nigeria, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights Education and Reporting. Politically, Peter has served Ejigbo LCDA as Supervisor for Market and Revenue Generation, Chairman, Committee on Revenue for Ejigbo LCDA, and Revenue Consultant to Ejigbo LCDA. During his appointment as Supervisor for Market and Revenue Generation, Peter worked assiduously and increased the revenue of the Council with 360%, a record that was unprecedented.
He is the Founder and Executive Director of Salvage for Development Initiative (SDI), a Think Tank arm of All Progressives Congress (APC). SDI through research and policy analysis, proffers solutions to socioeconomic and political problems confronting the various governments in Nigeria. Peter is the publisher of The View Magazine (online and print) media outfit with focus on politics, corruption and general issues in Nigeria.
While he was with human rights organisations, he participated at different committees such as Human Rights Education, Campaign and outreach, refugee/relief work, fundraising for Investment and Development. He chaired press and publication as well as the media and publicity organs of the committees.
After the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, Peter pitched his tent with the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and finally with the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the Media Office of the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the then headship of Mr Sunday Dare, Peter Ajayi was a Social Media Assistant having the responsibility to manage and monitor every online news reports about the image and personality of his principal (Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu). He is a well-travelled activist. Peter’s activism is focused on education, political, and economic empowerment, and building engaged communities to solve various socioeconomic and political problems.
Peter is greatly influenced by the life of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Thomas Sankara, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi, and Femi Falana. Peter is incredibly frustrated with the current state of affairs in Ejigbo and growing increasingly depressed about the future political prospects of Ejigbo Local Local Council Development Area. He believes he must throw himself into that process. He believes at a minimum, he will be able to get a wider audience for his ideas and views. At maximum, he believes he would win and get a huge audience for his views and be able to directly affect his desired change.
Peter also believes he could inspire others to run, influence other aspirants to pick up certain policy points from him in going forward. Aspirants, his opponents in particular, are always acting like experience is important, that the most experience politician is the best qualified for office. The opposite is true. The longer someone is in politics, the better they are at politics, not better at running public office. They also cannot help but get deeper into corruption. If the aspirant has been in political office just a few times before, it is a good thing, because we can see how good or bad they were.
The most important things are honesty, integrity, and intelligence, and diligence. Aspirants should spend their time figuring out how to make the lives of people of Ejigbo LCDA and Lagos State in general better when they get into office. They should not be spending their time figuring out how to make their lives better, raise money, and promise favors when they get into office, but they have to do this now to stay in the game. We want the best leaders and managers in office, not the best politicians.