A two time governorship aspirant in Edo State, High Chief Jacob Idinye has advised a socio-political activist, Aisha Yesufu, not to mix activism with politics adding that the outcome of internal democracy in party politics is what determines who gets presidential tickets.
Idinye’s reactions came on the heels of Yesufu’s comments that she will oppose any 2027 presidential ticket that features Peter Obi as a vice-presidential candidate in African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Yesufu’s remarks have stirred political debate, especially within opposition circles already positioning ahead of the next election cycle.
Meanwhile, Idinye in a chat with some political correspondents in Lagos on Tuesday said Aisha’s commitment to her political beliefs and interests should be tailored along laid down democratic tenets and not blind activism, stating that party primaries are determined by numerical figures controlled by aspirants who have declared interests not through mere sentiments or biases shared on the social media.
“The distinction between politics and activism should be properly distinguished by Aisha Yesufu. While both are integral to the democratic process; politics involves the formal structures and processes of governance, while activism is the direct action taken to influence these structures.
“Activism can be seen as a form of politics, as it often involves organizing and mobilizing people to advocate for specific policies or social changes. However, it is also distinct from politics, as it often focuses on specific issues and may not always align with the interests or supermacy of political parties or the clout of the aspirants involved in any political contest.
“It is not in doubt that Obi remains one of the most credible figures in the current political space which ADC has provided, but the process of selecting who becomes the party’s standard bearer in 2027 should be and will be purely democratised in a transparent and credible atmosphere and that is the beauty of democracy anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, Aisha just picked ADC membership card,. having declared his membership for the party she should abide by the party rules and engagements.
“The reality is that ADC is a mega political party consistenting of highly principled and visionary leaders who have excellent tract records both in private and public life, and as a result, the party has since been attracting growing interest among well meaning Nigerians as consultations and alignments are still continuing behind the scenes. Aisha Yesufu layer of pressure to the opposition coalition is strange to democratic culture and traditions, I urge her to be properly guided.
“She really needs to get this fact that politics is not activism and elections are won through numerical strength. Supporters who believe Peter Obi should only contest as a presidential candidate don’t have the understanding of how politics works and the game behind electoral victory, especially when wrestling power with a political party that is in government at the centre, Idinye stated.”
