Femi Aborisade, human rights activist and former governorship candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in Oyo State, has recalled how the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi compelled party candidates in 2003 to sign undertakings that tied them to the same public services they promised to reform if elected.

Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, Aborisade emphasized the contrast between Fawehinmi’s political integrity and the conduct of Nigeria’s present-day leaders.

“But we all know today; he has embraced the policy that he condemned as an opposition political figure. Therefore, Nigerians should go further and ask the opposition political figures today, what is it they are offering Nigeria?” Aborisade began.

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He explained that under Gani’s leadership, the NCP insisted on binding commitments. “For example, when we contested in 2003 under the platform of the National Conscience Party and under the leadership of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, we were all made to sign undertakings.”

According to him, Gani—though a wealthy and successful lawyer—made a public covenant with Nigerians during his presidential campaign.

“He was always going abroad for his medical care on his own, at his own expense. However, when he was campaigning to be president of Nigeria in 2003, he signed an undertaking, which we all signed individually, that if he became president of Nigeria, he would ensure that the resources of Nigeria are used to revamp the health care system.

“He will no longer go abroad for his medical care. He will either reform the health care system so that he could also have confidence in Nigeria’s health care system, or he dies in Nigeria. But today, what do we see? We have political leaders, the president for example, just like the late President Buhari, they have continued to embark on medical tourism.”

The activist argued that Nigerians should demand the same kind of undertakings from opposition politicians today: “We need the opposition political figures to give Nigerians an undertaking. If elected into power, they will not go abroad for medical care. They will not continue the policy of medical tourism. But not only that, we also signed an undertaking that if elected as president or governor of a state, for example, that we will not send our children abroad for education.”

He recalled other pledges made under Gani’s NCP: “Our children will have to receive their education here in Nigerian schools at home. We pledged to provide electricity so that even the president or any governor or anybody at all, for that matter, elected on the platform of the National Conscience Party, will not use generator in our homes. These are the kinds of pledges, undertakings that we made.”