Saturday 16 June 2012

Decamping as tool for Mass Mobilisation


Excerpts from:

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY DR. OLU AGUNLOYE AT DECAMPING Ceremony
Serial Mass Mobilisation for ACN with examples from
Igbokoda, Ore, Ondo, Ileoluji and Oba-Ile serial decamping

13 June, 2012

Decamping as tool for Mass Mobilisation
Decamping by politicians from other political parties to the Action Congress of Nigeria has remained a major mass mobilisation tool to strengthen the party and has been used significantly by Omoluabi Platform set up by Dr. Olu Agunloye to contribute to a stronger ACN in Ondo State over the last one year. Publicised decamping activities promote the party as well as swell the population of the party with membership from the Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and other parties. This has become crucial since ACN was rather relatively in a weaker position at the beginning of year 2011.

Since May 8, 2011 when Agunloye's Omoluabi Platform started the drive to strengthen ACN in Ondo Stare, the Platform has midwife hundreds of decamping sessions which have brought in thousands of new members into ACN. The decamping event of 13 June 2012 at Oba Ile is 207th formal decamping exercise under the auspices of Omoluabi Platform within the ACN. This deccamping event is taking place in Oba Ile in Akure North LG is in fact, an integral part of a strategic harvest of new members facilitated by Omoluabi Platform through a PDP Chieftain, Prince Adewale Omojuwa, former Chairman of OSOPADEC in Ondo State. 

Initial discussions and negotiations on Serial Mass Mobilisation facilitated by Omojuwa started in October 2011 with several meetings in Erusu-Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Oshogbo, Ila and Lagos with senior officers of Omoluabi Platform, and party leaders in and outside of Ondo State. Consumation of meticulous groundwork began to manifest publicly with the mega decamping rally led by Prince Omojuwa in Igbokoda, Ilaje LG on the 28 April, 2012 when the Ilaje Prince decamped with some 3,000 former PDP members. To add further to underscore the mass appeal which Omoluabi Platform had generated in the public, an estimated 1,000 ex-militants under the banner of Movement for Democratic Front (MDR) also decamped to ACN through Omoluabi Platform on same day at same event in Igbokoda. 

Further mass mobilisation was achieved with an agreement with the Principal of Omoluabi platform to recruit more new members into ACN through Omojuwa with the decamping of PDP members in each of the 18 LGs. This decentralized Mobilisation took off on Thursday, 7 June when some 1,000 were recruited into ACN in Ore, in Odigbo LG. Next, some 2,000 new members decamped on the 8 June 2012 with the former State Woman Leader of the PDP, Olori Folake Akinjobi-Omojuwa in Ondo town, Ondo West LG virtually in the same with the incumbent governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

Political Analysts have described this as harvesting in the lion's den. The third in the serial decamping was on the 9 June, 2012 in Ileoluji in Okeigbo-Ileoluji LG when 2,000 PDP members led by Hon. Julius Bajewolu on Saturday and were received into ACN by High Chief Adesoji, the Stae Chairman of ACN. The 4th in the series of mega decamping is being witnessed today at Oba Ile in Akure North LG where 500 former PDP members, mainly women were led by Mrs. Taiwo Olayiwola popularly known as MyTaiwo into ACN.

When the Omoluabi drive for a greater ACN commenced last year, the focus was on the grassroots and equal opportunities for everyone across the eighteen local government areas across the state wooing those who believe in Omoluabi values of honour and integrity in governance as well as those who demand a change for progress so that Ondo State will join the mainstream of Yoruba politics and socio-economic integration of the West for sustainable development. Thirteen months after, we have succeeded in attracting thousands of new members into ACN and have made ACN more attractive and above all, ready to win elections.

Today through the OMOLUABI PLATFORM alone, the ACN has made tremendous progress with its membership drive across the state. In 2011, let me say that OMOLUABI PLATFORM facilitated several harvests of thousands of new members across the state into ACN from groups and other political interests. In addition, this PLATFORM raised ACN flag, promoted the party's ideals at the wards, local governments, senatorial districts in Ondo state.

Harvesting new members into ACN through the OMOLUABI or other platforms, or groups or individual efforts remain the most direct way to give a major boost to ACN to win the 2012 elections.

Source: Omoluabi News Bulletin

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